When leaders from across Eurasia gathered in Tianjin, China, on September 1 and 2, 2025, for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, the world watched closely. The event, which brought together heads of state from India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, and several other nations, was more than just a photo opportunity. It was a reflection of the growing influence of strongman leaders and the shifting tides of global power.
United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, speaking to Fox Business on September 1, didn’t mince words about the SCO’s significance. “This is a longstanding meeting, it’s called the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and I think it’s largely performative,” Bessent remarked, casting doubt on the forum’s substantive impact. Yet, the summit’s timing and the presence of key figures—India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, China’s President Xi Jinping, and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin—underscored the complex web of alliances and rivalries shaping today’s geopolitics, as reported by Scroll.
Just days before the summit, the United States, under President Donald Trump, had doubled tariffs on goods imported from India to a hefty 50%. The move, announced on August 6, 2025, was a direct response to India’s ongoing purchase of Russian oil amid the protracted war in Ukraine. A 25% reciprocal tariff was already in place, but the escalation signaled Washington’s growing frustration with New Delhi’s economic ties to Moscow. According to reports, Bessent accused India of not being “great actors in terms of buying Russian oil and then reselling it, financing the Russian war effort in Ukraine.”
For India, these tariffs were a bitter pill. New Delhi described the U.S. action as “extremely unfortunate,” pointing out that “several other countries are also taking [these actions] in their own national interest.” The Indian government’s disappointment was palpable, especially since the two countries had recently completed a fifth round of trade talks in Washington in July. Hopes for progress were dashed when the next round, scheduled for August 25, was abruptly cancelled—yet another sign of the mounting strain in the relationship.
Despite the diplomatic chill, Bessent projected optimism about the long-term ties between the world’s two largest democracies. “I think at the end of the day, two great countries will get this solved,” he told Fox Business. He also emphasized that India’s values were “much closer to those of the US and China than Russia,” hinting at the possibility of renewed cooperation once the current impasse is resolved.
But the tension was unmistakable. In the aftermath of the SCO summit, President Trump took to social media to vent his frustrations, claiming that the U.S. had a “totally one-sided” trade relationship with India. “What few people understand is that we do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us,” Trump wrote. “In other words, they sell us massive amounts of goods, their biggest ‘client,’ but we sell them very little. Until now a totally one-sided relationship, and it has been for many decades.” Trump’s rhetoric, as reported by Scroll, echoed his longstanding grievances about what he perceives as unfair trade practices and high tariffs imposed by India on American goods.
These disputes over tariffs and energy purchases are just the tip of the iceberg. According to a Bloomberg opinion piece published on September 2, 2025, the real story lies in the broader transformation of the global order—what some are calling the rise of the “strongman system.” The article argues that a cohort of powerful, illiberal leaders—Trump, Putin, Xi, and Modi among them—are not only dominating their own countries’ politics but also seeking to remake the world in their image. “A lot of people are saying, ‘Maybe we would like a dictator,’” Trump recently mused, while hastening to add, of course, that he isn’t one. The debate about whether Trump is a tyrant-in-the-making has been reignited by his latest moves to intimidate opponents, defy the courts, and bypass Congress, Bloomberg noted.
This new international order, the article contends, is characterized by leaders who shatter old norms and institutions, consolidate power at home, and use that authority to pursue ambitious—and often controversial—goals abroad. The SCO summit in Tianjin, where Modi, Xi, and Putin met face-to-face, was a vivid illustration of this trend. These leaders, each with their own brand of nationalism and authority, are forging partnerships and rivalries that could redefine the rules of global engagement.
For India, the stakes are high. On one hand, it seeks to maintain its strategic autonomy, balancing relationships with the U.S., Russia, and China. On the other, it faces mounting pressure from Washington to distance itself from Moscow, especially as the Ukraine war drags on. The imposition of steep tariffs is just one tool in the growing arsenal of economic statecraft being wielded by the world’s strongest powers.
Meanwhile, the SCO itself is a study in contrasts. While Bessent dismissed it as “largely performative,” the forum remains a rare space where leaders from rival nations can engage directly. Modi’s meetings with Xi and Putin on the sidelines of the summit reflected both the possibilities and the limits of such diplomacy. The fact that the next round of U.S.-India trade talks was cancelled just as the summit concluded only added to the sense of uncertainty.
As the dust settles from Tianjin, the question remains: can India and the United States bridge their differences, or will the current disputes harden into a new normal? Bessent, for his part, remains hopeful. “At the end of the day, we will come together,” he said, expressing faith that the shared interests and values of the two countries would ultimately prevail.
Yet, the world is watching as strongmen—Trump, Putin, Xi, Modi—continue to shape the international landscape. Their decisions, whether on trade, energy, or security, reverberate far beyond their borders. The emergence of this “strongman system” may be unsettling for those who cherish democratic norms, but for now, it’s the reality of global politics in 2025.
As alliances shift and tariffs rise, the only certainty is that the era of the strongman is far from over. The Tianjin summit offered a glimpse into the future—a world where power is concentrated, deals are struck behind closed doors, and the old rules no longer apply.