NEW DELHI — Beijing’s ambitions for greater regional influence encountered an obstacle on Thursday when India declined to endorse a joint statement at a China-supported Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting. The decision stemmed from the document’s perceived pro-Pakistan stance, as it failed to mention the April terror attack that targeted Indian tourists.
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted that the statement undermined India’s stance on pivotal issues, particularly terrorism and regional security. This assessment was shared by an individual familiar with the situation, who spoke anonymously due to a lack of authorization to discuss the matter publicly. India has accused Pakistan of supporting the assailants involved in the April 22 attack, which led to the deaths of 26 individuals, primarily Indian Hindu tourists, in Indian-administered Kashmir, labeling the incident a terror attack. Pakistan, however, denies these accusations.
Singh argued the joint statement favored Pakistan’s narrative by omitting the attack, instead mentioning militant activities in Balochistan. Pakistan has often alleged Indian support for the Balochistan freedom movement, claims that India refutes. India’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal declared on Thursday that India sought to have its terrorism concerns included in the SCO document. This was reportedly rejected by an unnamed country, resulting in the statement’s non-adoption.
Jaiswal commented at his weekly media briefing, “The SCO meeting has concluded, and I understand that they couldn’t adopt a joint statement.” The meeting, meant for defense ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a coalition created by China and Russia to counteract U.S. influence in Asia, left China largely steering the SCO. As Russia faced challenges with its Ukrainian invasion and subsequent international isolation, China has increasingly taken a leadership role with joint exercises and summits.
Despite not being widely recognized globally, the SCO serves as a key mechanism for China’s expansion of political and economic influence into areas like India and regions traditionally linked with Russia, such as Central Asia. Thursday’s assembly was hosted in Qingdao, an eastern Chinese city housing China’s northern fleet. Singh, while withholding direct references to Pakistan, urged the SCO to denounce nations using “cross-border terrorism as an instrument of policy” and called for collective efforts in confronting terrorism and assuring accountability.
“Peace and prosperity cannot co-exist with terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of non-state actors and terror groups. Dealing with these challenges requires decisive action,” he asserted. The incident on April 22 heightened tensions between the two nuclear powers to their gravest in decades, with both sides engaging in crossfire before agreeing to cease military actions facilitated by a U.S.-mediated truce.
On Wednesday, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun convened bilateral talks with counterparts from Belarus, Iran, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Among the SCO members, India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan were listed. Speaking to the official Xinhua News Agency, Dong criticized unilateralism and protectionism, hinting at the U.S. and its allies’ behavior, which he claimed destabilize the global order. China and India have longstanding border conflicts, with Beijing also being one of Pakistan’s key allies.