Will that Xi-Putin-Modi pic change anything?

We’ve had two iconic images in a week, each triggering a certain amount of international “ermahgerd”: first, there’s the romance of the big Taylor-Travis “we just got engaged!” pic, ratifying ties between the 14-time Grammy-winner and NFL’s GOAT tight end.

And now there’s the bromance of the Xi-Putin-Modi “bring on the multipolar order!” pic, trumpeting ties among the world’s two most populous states (and the world’s largest).

But why now? China’s Xi Jinping just hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the port city of Tianjin, two hours out of Beijing. The SCO emerged after the Cold War as China moved to stabilise its western frontiers and suppress separatism.

These days, Beijing sees the 10-member bloc (featuring Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan and most ‘Stans) more as a way to project soft power out across its Eurasian periphery while also seeking to counter US influence and usher in a more multipolar world.

So let’s take a quick look at how each world leader sees this summit, starting with…

1. 🇮🇳 Narendra Modi

• This is Modi’s first visit to regional rival China in ~seven years. That’s a really long absence when you remember they’re neighbours, but it continues their cautious thaw after their infamous high-altitude border skirmish of 2020.

• Of course, the timing also matches a vivid sense of betrayal amid 50% US tariffs over India’s Russian oil shopping spree: Modi’s message here is “I’ve got options”.

2. 🇷🇺 Vladimir Putin

• As in India, Russian outlets are rolling footage of their leader on the world stage — matching Putin’s vaunted Trump-limo ride with a lengthy one alongside Modi, it all aims to defy Western-led sanctions, condemnation, and isolation. And…

• Notching up his ~42nd meeting with Xi (and his sixth since invading Ukraine), Putin is also trying to signal the strength of his ties with China, whose support has (with India) really helped keep Putin’s economy afloat. Speaking of Xi…

3. 🇨🇳 Xi Jinping

• Hosting 20+ world leaders, Xi gets to pitch himself to his own people as China’s strong and indispensable statesman amid all the economic uncertainty in the air.

• He also gets to pitch his China to the world as leading a ‘fairer’ (ie, non-US-led) order, built on a new “global governance initiative”. Like his earlier initiatives on development, security, and ‘civilisation’, there’s scant detail here, though Xi emphasises the role of “sovereign equality” and the “international rule of law”.

So there you go, dear Intriguer: from Super Bowl-sized rings to sovereign equality, it’s a week of iconic partnerships — the question is which of them will stand the test of time.