Silent standoff: PM Modi, Shehbaz Sharif keep their distance at China summit
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif were photographed with their backs turned to each other, a moment that drew attention amid the diplomatic gathering. In a picture posted by PM Modi’s official X handle, Sharif is seen in the background while Modi highlighted his “productive exchange of views” with Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on energy, security, healthcare and pharma cooperation.
The optics of distance were also visible a day earlier during the customary family photo session of SCO leaders, where Modi and Sharif stood far apart in the group lineup. The strained atmosphere between the two nations comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor, India’s May 7 cross-border strike following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which has kept India–Pakistan relations on edge in recent months.
The summit also featured a rare and formally announced meeting between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Modi conveyed India’s commitment to improving ties with China while flagging the need to maintain border stability and narrow a near-USD 100 billion trade deficit, a conversation freighted with the unresolved 2020 Galwan clash and subsequent military standoff.
The summit also featured a rare and formally announced meeting between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Modi conveyed India’s commitment to improving ties with China while flagging the need to maintain border stability and narrow a near-USD 100 billion trade deficit, a conversation freighted with the unresolved 2020 Galwan clash and subsequent military standoff.
