Putin and Modi in China for summit overshadowed by trade wars with US | BBC News

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are among the twenty world leaders attending a regional security summit in China.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) was created by China, Russia and four Central Asian countries in 2001 as a countermeasure to limit the influence of Western alliances such as Nato.

This year’s summit in Tianjin comes as US President Donald Trump has imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods as punishment for Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil, and Putin faces threats of sanctions for his ongoing war on Ukraine.

And, while the summit itself is largely symbolic, it will allow leaders to air common grievances and shared interests – and this year the gathering will be overshadowed by trade wars with the US.