India, Sept. 10 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, pressed the platform to take an unambiguous stance against terrorism. The Tianjin joint declaration explicitly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack. For New Delhi, this outcome not only reasserted the SCO Charter's central mission of combating terrorism but also turned global attention toward Pakistan's sponsorship of terrorism against member-countries and Eurasia. The SCO, however, remains riddled with internal contradictions. Several members exploit the forum for narrow security and geopolitical gains, creating trust issues and disagreements within the forum. As a result, the forum has remained largely ineffective in responding to major regional crises, including terrorism, connectivity gaps, and the situation in Afghanistan. China's role has been particularly problematic. Beijing continues to shield Pakistan for its use of terrorism as a strategic tool against India - supporting the country at global and regional forums, supplying it with over 80% of its defence equipment between 2020 and 2024, and backing Islamabad during Operation Sindoor. Beijing's parochial strategic interests have thus made the Af-Pak region a cradle of terrorism, weakening the SCO. Since joining the SCO as a full member in 2017, India has sought to reorient it toward genuine connectivity and cooperative endeavours that respect sovereignty. New Delhi's priorities are centred on a shared culture and a common future for the region, emphasising reliable, resilient, and diversified supply chains that require better connectivity while respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member-States. New Delhi leveraged the SCO forum to advance its geopolitical and strategic goals in Central Asia and to counterbalance China's assertive influence. Central Asian countries also admitted India into the Ashgabat Agreement in 2018 and have demonstrated heightened interest in the Chabahar Port and Eastern Route on the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). The first India-Central Asia virtual summit in 2022 established a Joint Working Group (JWG) to enhance regional connectivity and trade via the Chabahar port. In June this year, India and Central Asia jointly explored rare earths and critical minerals during the fourth India-Central Asia dialogue in New Delhi. This followed Beijing's restrictions on rare earth exports for clean energy and defence. Notably, Central Asia is increasingly seen as a potential rival to Beijing's dominance, given its rich reserves of rare earth elements. The SCO forum has continued to serve as a platform for India to prevent Central Asia from becoming increasingly vulnerable to Chinese influence. It also enables India to pursue its geopolitical and economic interests in Eurasia, grounded in longstanding civilisational, spiritual, and cultural ties. The SCO also provided India and China with a platform for direct dialogue, and both nations voiced their willingness to find common ground on bilateral issues despite notable differences. These issues include border demarcation and Chinese investments in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which challenge India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Forums like BRICS and SCO, led by the Global South, have seen a thaw in bilateral relations. During the bilateral meeting with the PM Modi in Tianjin, Chinese President Xi Jinping stated that it is the "right choice" for both countries to be "friends". PM Modi stated that New Delhi is committed to advancing relations grounded in mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity, while also highlighting concerns over cross-border terrorism. In this era marked by wars, tariffs, and rising geopolitical tensions, Beijing and New Delhi must collaborate from a long-term strategic perspective, considering their increasing responsibilities to promote multilateralism and a multipolar world. PM Modi attending the SCO summit demonstrates New Delhi's understanding of the importance of multilateral forums such as SCO and BRICS to advance India's geopolitical, security, and geo-economic interests. Now, China needs to decide how to progress in stabilising the relationship with India by implementing specific measures, such as granting greater market access to Indian goods and IT services, and pressuring Pakistan to abandon State-sponsored terrorism. Only then can the SCO move beyond symbolism to become a credible pillar of multipolar stability....