Between Tianjin and the World: Modi, Xi and the Tightrope of Multipolar Diplomacy
By Sanjeev Oak
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Xi Jinping in Tianjin underscored India’s evolving multipolar diplomacy—balancing rivalry and dialogue. New Delhi’s strategy is neither retreat nor alignment but a pragmatic pursuit of coexistence in a fractured, fast-shifting world order.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met in Tianjin, the Ministry of External Affairs was careful to underline one word: frank. That single adjective captures both the difficulty and the necessity of India–China engagement today.
India’s rise as a multipolar actor has meant engaging adversaries, competitors and partners simultaneously. Tianjin was not about breakthroughs; it was about maintaining a balance in a world where alignments shift faster than they harden.
The Tightrope with China
India’s relations with China remain overshadowed by the shadow of Galwan and the Line of Actual Control stand-off. Yet, the sheer weight of economic interdependence and geographic proximity means silence is never an option.
“Dialogue is not weakness; it is a recognition that rivalry cannot mean disengagement.”
The MEA statement’s emphasis on border peace and “stable ties” reveals New Delhi’s conviction that even while competing in the Indo-Pacific and resisting Chinese influence in South Asia, a complete breakdown serves neither side.
The Multipolar Balancing Act
Tianjin cannot be read in isolation. Modi meets Xi weeks after engaging Biden in Washington, Putin at the BRICS summit, and Macron in Paris. India’s diplomacy today is less about choosing one bloc than ensuring no bloc can choose against India.
“India’s strategy is to engage everywhere, align selectively, and commit nowhere permanently.”
This is multipolar diplomacy at work: the ability to extract leverage from multiple partnerships while refusing to be trapped in binary rivalries.
Echoes of Bandung, Shadows of Bretton Woods
There is a historical echo here. At Bandung in 1955, India positioned itself as a voice of the Global South, refusing to be tethered to Cold War blocs. At Bretton Woods, by contrast, India was marginal. Today, New Delhi is not marginal: it is at the table, shaping supply chains, digital norms, and energy flows.
The Tianjin meeting is therefore not just bilateral—it is symbolic of India’s wider role in stabilising the multipolar order.
Forward Trajectories
In the decade ahead, India–China competition will remain sharp: from infrastructure races in Africa to technology standards in Asia. Yet, both capitals recognise the dangers of open hostility. New frameworks may emerge—limited cooperation on climate change, co-shaping BRICS finance, or cautious parallelism in regional infrastructure.
“The task is not friendship but coexistence, managed with a hard realism.”
The Road Ahead
The Modi–Xi encounter in Tianjin does not herald a thaw. But it reaffirms a doctrine: India will speak to all, resist hegemony, and keep space for dialogue even with rivals. In a fractured world order, that may be New Delhi’s most powerful currency.