‘Aloof’ but engaged: what India’s SCO comeback reveals

Two years ago, Narendra Modi skipped the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) summit in Astana entirely, sending his foreign minister instead. That absence was redressed first at last year’s summit in Tianjin and again this week in Kyrgyzstan, where India’s prime minister stood shoulder to shoulder with China’s Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of other SCO member states. Analysts say New Delhi’s revived engagement with the 10-member bloc reflects both its hedging...