On August 31, 2025, the world’s economic and diplomatic powerhouses found themselves at a crossroads in Tianjin, China, where the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit convened amid a flurry of new US tariffs and mounting trade tensions. The gathering of leaders from the BRICS bloc—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, now joined by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina, and the United Arab Emirates—underscored a growing resolve to challenge what they describe as "discriminatory sanctions" and assert a more multipolar world order.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking in an interview with China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, set the tone for the summit by declaring a united front with China against sanctions that, in his words, "hinder the socioeconomic development" of BRICS members and the broader global community. According to The Federal, Putin emphasized, "Russia and China are paying special attention to mobilising additional resources for critical infrastructure projects, and stand united in strengthening BRICS’s ability to address pressing global challenges."
This firm stance comes as US President Donald Trump has threatened BRICS countries with tariffs of 10% or higher, and in some cases, much more. The impact has been swift and severe. Since August 27, 2025, Indian exports like diamonds and prawns have faced a staggering 50% tariff, a move Trump justified as retaliation for India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. Experts, as cited by Chatham House in The Federal, warn these levies could inflict lasting damage on India’s export sector and derail its ambitious growth targets.
Brazil, too, has felt the sting. After the US raised tariffs on Brazilian products up to 50%—with only strategic sectors like aviation, energy, and agriculture exempt—President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called for an extraordinary BRICS summit to coordinate a common response. As reported by Valor Econômico and UNN, the initiative is being orchestrated by Brazil’s chief presidential advisor, Celso Amorim, and is expected to take place via video conference. Brazil, which holds the BRICS presidency in 2025, is eager to forge a united front.
Lula da Silva minced no words in his criticism of Washington’s approach, stating, "Modern multipolarity is incompatible with unilateral dictation." He added a pointed analogy: negotiating without a collective position is like "a worker without a union trying to negotiate with the boss." It’s a sentiment echoed throughout the summit, where leaders grappled with how best to respond to what they view as economic coercion from the United States.
The timing of these developments is no accident. Both China and India are facing economic headwinds exacerbated by US trade policies. Chinese President Xi Jinping, eager to revive his country’s sluggish economy, finds himself under pressure as "sky-high US tariffs threaten to derail his plans," according to The Federal. Meanwhile, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in China with US tariffs "still top of mind," seeking both economic relief and diplomatic recalibration.
Historically, India has downplayed the significance of the SCO, a regional body that includes China, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Russia, and that seeks to project an alternative worldview to that of the West. But the recent downturn in India-US relations has prompted a strategic rethink. As noted by Chietigj Bajpaee and Yu Jie of Chatham House, "India was never going to be the bulwark against China that the West (and the United States in particular) thought it was… Modi’s China visit marks a potential turning point."
During a delegation-level meeting in Tianjin, Modi and Xi Jinping both stressed the importance of cooperation for a multipolar world order—a marked shift from the mistrust and border disputes that have previously colored their relationship. The Federal reports that both leaders "stressed on the importance of the two countries cooperating with each other for a multipolar world order," signaling a possible thaw and a shared interest in counterbalancing US influence.
Putin, for his part, used the summit to advocate for sweeping reforms of global financial institutions. In his interview with Xinhua, he argued that Russia and China "support reforming the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank" to create a financial system based on "openness and true equity," ensuring equal and non-discriminatory access for all countries and reflecting the real standing of member states in the global economy. "We seek progress for the benefit of all humanity. I am confident that Russia and China will continue to work together towards this noble goal, aligning our efforts to ensure the prosperity of our great nations," he asserted.
The symbolism of the moment was not lost on anyone. Alongside the summit, Putin was scheduled to attend China’s V-Day parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of victory against Japan in World War II—a gesture meant to reinforce historical solidarity and shared purpose in the face of contemporary challenges.
Yet, the path to unity is not without obstacles. At the previous BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6-7, 2025, the issue of Ukraine loomed large. Russian President Vladimir Putin was absent due to an active International Criminal Court warrant, while Chinese leader Xi Jinping cited a scheduling conflict. The absence of these key figures highlighted the difficulties in forging a truly cohesive bloc, especially when national interests and international legal pressures come into play.
The SCO itself faces its own set of challenges. The June 2025 defense ministers’ meeting failed to produce a joint statement, with India objecting to the omission of any reference to the deadly April 22 attack on Hindu tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir—the worst fighting in decades between India and Pakistan. Critics argue that the SCO has often fallen short of delivering substantive outcomes. Still, the current climate of US economic pressure has led even its skeptics to rediscover its utility as a forum for dialogue and collective action.
Putin remains optimistic about the SCO’s potential. He told Xinhua that the organization’s appeal lies in its "firm commitment to its founding philosophy, openness to equal cooperation, not targeting third parties, and respect for the national characteristics and uniqueness of each nation." He added, "Drawing on these values, the SCO contributes to shaping a fairer, multipolar world order, grounded in international law, with the central coordinating role of the United Nations."
As the summit concluded, the message from Tianjin was clear: the BRICS nations, now bolstered by new members and emboldened by shared grievances, are determined to push back against what they see as unilateralism and economic coercion. Whether this solidarity will translate into tangible outcomes remains to be seen. But for now, the world is watching as these emerging powers seek to rewrite the rules of global engagement—one summit at a time.