India, July 3 -- On June 26, the defence ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) concluded in the eastern Chinese coastal city of Qingdao without a joint statement. India had refused to sign on as the draft document avoided mention of the Pahalgam terrorist attack in April while highlighting terrorist incidents in Pakistan. India argued that signing the document would undermine its positions and policies on State-sponsored terrorism.

This bias highlighted by defence minister Rajnath Singh underscores China's efforts to shield its "iron brother" and ally, Pakistan. While the disagreement over the issue casts a shadow over high-level meetings of SCO hosted by China as the rotating president, it also reflects a dee...