European court faults France for failings on sexual consent laws

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Thursday that France had violated the European Convention on Human Rights in a case involving a pharmacist accused of forcing a colleague into a sadomasochistic relationship.


Issued on: 04/09/2025 - RFI

The court found France failed to respect the European human rights convention's provisions on the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment. AFP - FREDERICK FLORIN

The court said France “had failed to fulfil its positive obligations to introduce provisions criminalising and punishing non-consensual sexual acts and to apply them effectively”.

It found violations of Articles 3 and 8 of the convention, which ban torture and guarantee respect for private life.

France will have to pay the 42-year-old applicant, identified only as EA, €20,000 in moral damages and €1,503.77 in legal costs.

The woman was 27 when she started working in 2010 as a pharmacy assistant at the hospital in Briey, in Meurthe-et-Moselle.

She began a sadomasochistic relationship with a department head 16 years her senior.

In 2013 she filed a complaint for rape with torture and acts of barbarism by a person abusing his authority, as well as for physical and psychological violence, sexual harassment and assault.

The defendant was initially convicted of intentional violence and sexual harassment. But in 2021 the Nancy Court of Appeal acquitted him, ruling the relationship was consensual because the two had signed a “master/bitch” contract.
Court points to failings

Having exhausted all avenues of appeal in France, EA took her case to the ECHR.

The court ruled in her favour, pointing to "shortcomings in the legal framework" and "failings in its implementation".

It said the sexual offences reported by EA had been excluded from the investigation, that inquiries were “fragmented”, proceedings dragged on for too long and courts mishandled the question of consent.

“Consent must reflect the free will to have a specific sexual relationship at the time it is given and taking into account the circumstances,” the court said.

“Therefore, no form of prior commitment, including in the form of a written contract, can constitute current consent to a specific sexual practice, as consent is by nature revocable.”

The court also ruled that EA was subjected to “secondary victimisation” – being made to feel she was at fault during the proceedings because of inappropriate questions and remarks.

By relying on her contract with her superior, “the Nancy Court of Appeal exposed her to a form of secondary victimisation, as such reasoning is both guilt-inducing and stigmatising and is likely to deter victims of sexual violence from asserting their rights in court”, the ruling said.

Reactions in France

“This appeal hearing is described by the lawyer and also by my colleagues as ‘nightmarish’,” said Nina Bonhomme Janotto, a jurist with the European Association Against Violence Against Women at Work (AVFT), which was a civil party in the case. “It was a public shaming.”

Marjolaine Vignola, EA's lawyer, said she hoped the court's ruling would motivate the French government to enact a law that better protects women.

Under French law, rape is defined as penetration imposed by violence, coercion, threat or surprise. A bill now before parliament would redefine rape as any non-consensual sexual act, and consent as free and informed, specific, prior and revocable.

If passed, it would no longer be up to victims to prove coercion but up to the accused to demonstrate that sexual intercourse was consensual.

Would tax hikes for the wealthiest really drive them to flee France?

The French government is looking to slash its deficit by €44 billion, with ministers favouring spending cuts over tax increases on the wealthy. But new research challenges a key government argument that higher taxes would trigger a mass exodus of the rich.


Issued on: 05/09/2025 - RFI

The government claims France's richest will head off in their private jets, taking their wealth abroad, if wealth taxes are increased. But recent data is far less pessimistic about the impact of small tax hikes.

 © Business Wire/AP

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Prime Minister François Bayrou's austerity budget is likely to be rejected by MPs when they vote on 8 September, leading to his ousting.

He recently dismissed proposals for a wealth tax as a way of reducing France's spiralling debt, warning that the wealthy would simply flee France.

"What will they do? They will leave," he said in a TV interview on Sunday, echoing months of government warnings about capital flight.

However, the Conseil d'analyse économique (CSE) – an independent think tank that advises the prime minister – says its latest findings do not support the government's stark predictions.

"The wealthy, or high capital income earners, are relatively immobile compared to the general population," said economist Nicolas Grimprel, co-author of a recent CSE report.

Their analysis focused on France's top 1 percent of capital income earners – approximately 400,000 households – whom they consider the best proxy for high-wealth individuals.

Among the top 1,000 taxpayers, only two leave France each year – half as many as the rate for the population overall, the study found.

Hollande v. Macron

The research examined major tax reforms over the past 15 years, including the introduction of a 75 percent supertax under Socialist president François Hollande in 2012-2013, and reductions under the economically liberal President Emmanuel Macron in the year following his election in 2017.

Macron introduced a 30 percent flat tax on capital income (PFU) in 2018, and while the top rate of income tax remained at 45 percent, combined taxation on investment income and wealth fell sharply.

He also abolished the wealth tax (ISF), replacing it with a narrower tax on real estate (IFI).

Comparing the two reforms, the study found that while wealthy individuals do respond to tax changes, the actual numbers leaving remain minimal.

"In 2017, the average departure rate for the top 1 percent of capital income earners was around 0.2 percent," Grimprel told RFI.

Even significant tax increases would trigger only modest additional departures, the study found. "We estimate that a one percentage point increase in income taxation would lead to additional tax exile of between 0.02 percent and 0.23 percent of the affected population."

In absolute terms, this translates to fewer than 900 additional households leaving out of 400,000 – far from the mass exodus ministers have predicted.

Billionaires highlight France’s complicated relationship with wealth

The CAE team found that recent tax cuts did encourage some returns to France from 2017-2018 onwards, although the numbers were modest

"We observe a notable reduction in net departures," Grimprel said, while underlining this too represented only a few hundred households.

"High-wealth individuals tend to be older, which may explain their lower mobility," he observed. "It's also related to the nature of their income and the fact that they hold substantial assets, which creates ties to France."

The research also examined what happens when wealthy shareholders do leave. It acknowledged that the expatriation of major shareholders tends to lower the value of the companies in which they hold shares, with a knock-on negative effect on the economy.

However, according to the report, even taking the "upper limit", tax exile would lead to a drop of "at most 0.03 percent in turnover, 0.05 percent in total added value for the French economy, and 0.04 percent in total employment".

France's debt: how did we get here, and how dangerous is it?

An 'eminently political' issue

In October 2024, the previous Barnier government announced a temporary tax increase on France's highest earners – households earning above €500,000 or €250,000 for individuals – which it was estimated would raise about €2 billion.

But the government collapsed after being ousted in a no-confidence vote in December 2024, and the measure was never enacted.

In January, French billionaire Bernard Arnault threatened to leave the country if the 40 percent tax came into force.

France targets the rich with temporary tax hikes to bring down debt

France's left-wing parties, backed by several former Nobel Prize winners, have continued to push for a "Zucman tax", which would impose a 2 percent levy on wealth exceeding €100 million.

The proposal was rejected by the French Senate in June.

Bayrou has described the Zucman tax as "unconstitutional" and "a threat to investments in France".

"Every economic issue is eminently political… involving public policy choices," Grimprel said. Pointing to concerns about fiscal justice, he noted that when all income and taxes paid are taken into account, effective tax rates for the ultra-rich are often lower than for middle-class households.

Ebola outbreak in DR Congo kills 15 with dozens of suspected cases

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have declared a new outbreak of the Ebola virus, with 15 deaths and 28 suspected cases since late August.


Issued on: 05/09/2025 - RFI

Medical workers lead a young girl with suspected Ebola into the unconfirmed Ebola patients ward in August 2018 in Beni, northeastern DRC during the country's worst Ebola outbreak. AFP - JOHN WESSELS

The outbreak is in central Kasai Province, the Congolese health ministry said on Thursday.

The first case was reported on 20 August in a 34-year-old pregnant woman who was admitted to hospital with signs of haemorrhagic fever. She died a few hours later from organ failure.

"It's the 16th outbreak recorded in our country," health minister Samuel Roger Kamba said.

The last struck the Equateur Province in the north-east of the country in April 2022, killing six people before being brought under control in less than three months.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched experts alongside a Congolese rapid response team to Kasai Province. "We're acting with determination to rapidly halt the spread of the virus and protect communities," said WHO's Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Janabi.

Four health workers were among the 15 people who had died, the WHO said.

"Case numbers are likely to increase as the transmission is ongoing. Response teams and local teams will work to find the people who may be infected and need to receive care, to ensure everyone is protected as quickly as possible," the WHO added in a statement.

The DRC has a stockpile of treatments for this viral haemorrhagic fever, including 2,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine that is "effective to protect against this type of Ebola, the global health body said.

Ebola: Profile of a dreaded killer

Zaire strain identified

Six strains of Ebola exist. Health authorities say the Zaire strain is the cause of the new outbreak.

"Fortunately we have a vaccine for this Zaire strain but to deploy it we need to ensure the logistics," Kamba said.

First identified in 1976 and thought to have crossed over from bats, Ebola is a deadly viral disease transmitted from person to person through contact with infected bodily fluids, such as blood and vomit. It causes severe bleeding and organ failure.

The deadliest outbreak in the DRC – whose population numbers more than 100 million – killed nearly 2,300 people between 2018 and 2020.

Four times the size of France, the DRC has poor infrastructure, with often limited and poorly maintained lines of communication.

(with newswires)

Wildfires producing 'witches' brew' of air pollution, UN warns

Geneva (AFP) – Wildfires are releasing a "witches' brew" of pollutants that can end up wrecking air quality a continent away from the blaze, the UN's weather and climate agency said Friday.


Issued on: 05/09/2025 - RFI

Wildfires in the Amazon, Canada and Siberia have brought home how air quality can be impacted on a vast scale. © Colby Rex O'Neill / AFP

The World Meteorological Organisation said the quality of the air people breathe was interlinked with climate change, and the two issues needed to be tackled together.

Wildfires in the Amazon, Canada and Siberia have brought home how air quality can be impacted on a vast scale, the WMO said in its fifth annual Air Quality and Climate Bulletin.

"Climate impacts and air pollution respect no national borders – as exemplified by intense heat and drought which fuels wildfires, worsening air quality for millions of people," said WMO deputy secretary-general Ko Barrett.

Wildfires cause surges in PM 2.5 particles, which can penetrate deep into the lungs © Cesar Manso / AFP

The bulletin looked at the interplay between air quality and the climate, highlighting the role of tiny particles called aerosols in wildfires, winter fog, shipping emissions and urban pollution.

Particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres (PM 2.5) are considered particularly harmful since they can penetrate deep into the lungs or cardiovascular system.

Wildfires in 2024 led to above-average PM 2.5 levels in Canada, Siberia and central Africa, the WMO said. The biggest PM 2.5 surge, however, was in the Amazon basin.

Wildfire season stronger, longer

"The wildfire season has the tendency to be stronger and longer every year as a result of climate change," said WMO scientific officer Lorenzo Labrador, who coordinated the bulletin.

The terraced vineyards of the Swiss shores of Lake Geneva were left blanketed in haze from smoke from Canadian wildfires in June 2025 © Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP

Wildfires in Canada have ended up causing air pollution in Europe.

"We had that last year and this year as well. So you have a degradation in air quality across continents when the meteorological conditions are right," Labrador told a press conference.

"What we have from these fires is essentially a witches' brew of components that pollute the air."

The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution causes more than 4.5 million premature deaths each year.

The WMO called for improved monitoring and better policies to safeguard human and environmental health – and reduce agricultural and economic losses.

The WMO said winter fog episodes in northern India were growing in frequency and duration © Narinder NANU / AFP


The bulletin highlighted pollution hotspots in northern India.

It said the Indo-Gangetic Plain, home to more than 900 million people, had seen a marked rise in air pollution and winter fog episodes, which are growing in frequency and duration due to pollution, notably from agricultural biomass burning.

"Persistence of fog is no longer a simple, seasonal weather event – it is a symptom of escalating human impact on the environment," it said.

Dramatic improvements in China

PM 2.5 levels continued to decline in eastern China last year, which the WMO put down to sustained mitigation measures.

When countries take measures to combat poor air quality, the improvement can be clearly seen in meteorological data, said Paolo Laj, the WMO's global atmosphere chief.

Shanghai has seen improvements in air quality along with other parts of eastern China 

© HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP

"Look at Europe, Shanghai, Beijing, cities in the United States: many cities have taken measures and you see in the long term, a strong decrease" in recorded air pollution, he told AFP.

"Over a 10-year period, Chinese cities have improved their air quality in a dramatic way. It's really impressive what they have done."

Laj said there was no all-purpose measure that could bring about drastic change, such as switching to electric cars, "but when measures are taken, it works".

In Europe, "we don't realise what we were breathing in 20 years ago, but it was much worse than today", he added.

 

Russian state Max messenger mandatory across all devices

The Kremlin is on an extended campaign to retake control of RuNet and is pushing its own messenger service, Max Messaging, to oust the likes of WhatsApp and Telegram by preinstalling it on all new phones. / bne IntelliNews

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By bne IntelliNews September 2, 2025

As of September 1, the Max messenger of state-controlled internet major VK is legally prerequired to be preinstalled on every smartphone and tablet sold in Russia, as well as be featured mandatory on the Russian app store RuStore, including on Apple devices, according to The Bell.

bne IntelliNews closely followed how Russian authorities have been priming VK’s messenger for domination in the Russian messenger services.

The idea was previously endorsed by Putin at a recent government meeting with Minister of Digital Development Maksut Shadayev and then signed off with a presidential decree.

The Russian government had officially tasked Kommunikatsionnaya Platforma (Communication Platform), a subsidiary of state-controlled tech and internet major VK, with operating and developing the country’s “national information exchange service”.

While early reports suggested that Max could be a step further towards a WeChat-like “super app”, for now the messenger is likely to become a tool of mass surveillance and another step of Kremlin’s drive for full control of the digital communications and media space.

The Bell reports that public sector employees and government institution workers are being forced to install Max almost coercively. As of September 1 2025 all Moscow schools also need to officially switch to the new national messenger, although the Minister of Education publicly promised that no teachers would be forcibly transferred to Max.

Legal experts surveyed by The Bell argue that forcing employees to install any applications on their personal phones is (so far) illegal. However, an obligation to use specific applications for work may exist, but in theory on a separate work device. 

The Bell advises Russian users forced into installing Max to deny the app access to the camera, microphone, contacts, geolocation, etc. as well as to disable automatic updates. 

The lawyers reminded the publication that all data on Max will be accessible to Russian security services in real time. 

Viber, Discord and Signal messengers are already blocked in Russia, while market leading messengers WhatsApp and Telegram (84mn and 68mn daily users, respectively) appear to be too big to block.

After the military invasion of Ukraine, now state-controlled VK has started to shed assets, focusing on establishing domination in the Russian digital and social media space.

The company sold its market-leading gaming division and swapped its key foodtech services for media assets of another internet peer, Yandex. However, the consolidation has had an adverse effect on VK's leverage and financial results.

As followed by bne IntelliNews, Moscow’s Department of Information Technology most recently introduced another mass surveillance app Amina, mandatory for nationals of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Ukraine residing in the capital under a labor permit. 

As of September 2026, the requirement will extend to all foreigners arriving in the country for more than 90 days, including those for study or tourism.

Labour migrants will have to register their residency in Amina and then check in at those places using the app’s GPS tracker. If a person fails to appear at the declared location for three days, they will be removed from the migration center’s registry, have their rights restricted, and may be deported. 

 

Electric flying taxis to launch in Saudi Arabia within two years

FlyNow Aviation showcasing new eVTOL earlier in August in Austria. (Company image) / Company image.

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By bnm Gulf bureau September 3, 2025

FlyNow Aviation Arabia plans to begin operating electric helicopters for cargo transport and firefighting in Saudi Arabia within two years, before launching passenger air taxi services by 2030, IntelliNews can reveal.

The firm expects thousands of the electric helicopters to operate in the skies above Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Ula and Asir as an urban service similar to traditional taxis, local Al-Eqtisadiah reported on September 2.

FlyNow Arabia established its regional headquarters in the Kingdom last year as part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 programme to develop advanced mobility technologies. The company signed a memorandum of understanding with the General Authority of Civil Aviation and the National Industrial Development Centre to conduct pilot programmes starting in 2025.

The electric copters feature coaxial rotors and produce noise levels of just 55 decibels at 150 metres altitude, equivalent to a dishwasher. Winter said the aircraft offers zero carbon emissions and costs significantly less than American competitors, which can exceed €5mn per unit.

Multiple configurations will be available, including a two-seater passenger model, a cargo version capable of carrying 200 kilograms (kg) on a standard Euro-pallet, firefighting variants with water tanks, and medical evacuation units equipped with patient stretchers. The aircraft has a maximum range of 50 kilometres (km) and operates along predetermined routes.

The Austrian company's eCopter aircraft will be priced from $373,000, according to Chief Executive Officer Yvonne Winter.

She added that the project is worth several hundred million dollars and aims to provide practical solutions accessible to everyone, not just luxury transport between airports and hotels.

The company plans to establish an assembly plant in Saudi Arabia with local financing and investment support as IntelliNews previously reported in May.

FlyNow targets commercial cargo operations starting in 2027, with passenger services following after the aircraft accumulates more than one million kilometres of operational experience.

In an interview with local Al Sharq TV in May, Winter said that a single flight on the "electronic helicopter" would cost approximately SAR100 (around $25). She explained that the helicopter's flight range would reach 50 kilometres and automatically fly along predetermined routes to transport passengers and cargo.

Earlier in 2024, Saudi Arabia launched a self-driving aerial taxi service for pilgrims during last year’s Hajj season, as part of the country’s push towards autonomous vehicles.

Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, the Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, declared this initiative the world's first civil aviation authority-licensed flying taxi.

Earlier in 2024, the country announced it would also operate flying taxis in NEOM, the futuristic city under development north of Mecca in the Tarbuk region.

NEOM has been working with German firm Volocopter since 2021 on a joint venture to deploy Volocopter's eVTOL models - the VoloCity for intracity air taxi services, the VoloRegion for intercity flights within NEOM's regions, and the VoloDrone for cargo transport.

 

Indonesia uncovers over $60mn in Hajj quota corruption

/ Mohammad Mubasher - Unsplash

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By bno - Surabaya Office September 4, 2025

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has intensified its investigation into alleged corruption surrounding Indonesia’s 2023–2024 Hajj quota, with state losses already estimated at more than IDR1 trillion ($60.9mn). According to Tempo.co, the scandal involves the mismanagement of 20,000 additional quotas provided by Saudi Arabia, which were intended to shorten waiting times for Indonesian pilgrims. Instead, the distribution became a lucrative source of abuse, with suspicions that special Hajj candidates were able to depart immediately without enduring the usual years-long queue.

KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo explained that this allegation is central to the probe. As reported by VOI.id, on September 1, investigators questioned four witnesses at the agency’s Red and White building in South Jakarta: these included Achmad Ruhyudin, a financial staff member of the Mutiara Haji Association; Arie Prasetyo, Manager of Uhud Tour; Asrul Azis Taba, the General Chair of Kesthuri and the Commissioner of PT Raudah Eksati Utama; as well as Eris Herlambang of PT Anugerah Citra Mulia. “They were examined regarding the process of obtaining additional Hajj quotas and the possibility of special Hajj candidates being able to leave immediately without queuing,” Budi said in a written statement on September 3, as cited by Tempo.co.

Seized assets and evidence

The case has already led to the seizure of large assets. VOI.id reported that investigators confiscated $1.6mn, four vehicles, and five parcels of land and buildings linked to parties suspected of profiting from the quota distribution. Budi described these seizures as essential for both strengthening evidence and ensuring recovery of state losses. “This is the KPK’s first step in optimising asset recovery in light of financial losses caused by corruption,” he said.

The investigation has also drawn in prominent figures, including former Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, who was questioned regarding the rationale behind the controversial 50:50 distribution of quotas between regular and special Hajj. As Tempo.co highlighted, this allocation violated existing law, which stipulates that 92% of quotas should go to regular pilgrims and just 8% to special Hajj participants.

Money trails and legal grounds

KPK officials emphasised that the probe aims to uncover the flow of illicit funds generated by the alleged buying and selling of quotas. According to VOI.id, the investigation is supported by a general investigation warrant (Sprindik), which grants authority for coercive measures, including witness examinations and searches. The warrant applies Article 2 and Article 3 of the Anti-Corruption Law, alongside Article 55 of the Criminal Code, underscoring that the scandal has inflicted measurable losses on the state.

Early estimates already put those losses above IDR1 trillion, but Tempo.co reported that the figure could rise significantly as KPK continues to coordinate with the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

Testimonies and institutional support

Officials from the Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH) have also been questioned. Head of BPKH, Fadlul Imansyah, confirmed after a day-long session with investigators on September 2 that he provided information and fully supports the legal process. Speaking to VOI.id, he stressed, “As good citizens and representatives of state institutions, we fully support all efforts to uphold the law.”

Not all figures summoned have complied. Tempo.co noted that preacher and Uhud Tour owner Khalid Zeed Abdullah Basalamah failed to appear for questioning, citing other commitments. His absence adds another layer of complexity to an already sprawling probe that involves government officials, financial managers, and private tour operators.

Implications for pilgrims and institutions

The Hajj quota scandal is more than a financial crime. For millions of Indonesians waiting up to two decades for their turn to embark on the pilgrimage, revelations that some individuals bypassed the queue through corrupt means strike at the heart of fairness and trust in the system. As VOI.id observed, the misuse of Saudi Arabia’s goodwill in providing an extra 20,000 slots undermines both public faith in religious institutions and Indonesia’s international credibility.

As investigations continue, the KPK faces the dual challenge of tracing complex financial transactions and holding powerful figures accountable. With state losses already surpassing IDR1 trillion and the prospect of more revelations to come, this case stands as one of the most significant corruption scandals to hit Indonesia’s religious affairs sector in recent years. Both Tempo.co and VOI.id underline that the outcome will be closely watched, not just for the recovery of state funds but for restoring public trust in the integrity of the Hajj pilgrimage process.

 

SCO summit highlights India’s balancing act

/ The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

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By bno Chennai Office September 3, 2025

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, held from August 31 to September 1, 2025, reflected India’s careful balancing strategy. On the one hand, New Delhi maintained dialogue with China and Russia, while on the other it reiterated its long-term dependence on the US for its Indo-Pacific strategy. Hosted by China, the summit was the largest in SCO’s history, with leaders from over 20 countries and several international organisations in attendance.

Chinese President Xi Jinping used the platform to announce proposals including an SCO development bank, an energy cooperation mechanism, and a multi-billion dollar loan programme over three years. He also offered member states access to China’s BeiDou satellite system. For India, participation was both a bridge and a shield. It allowed New Delhi to remain engaged with Eurasian institutions while avoiding full alignment with Beijing or Moscow.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings with Xi and Putin. With Xi, he underlined the importance of India-China relations for advancing an Asian century and a multipolar world order, while also stressing the need for peace along the border through existing mechanisms.

With Putin, Modi reaffirmed the so-called “all weather” nature of India-Russia ties. Their joint limousine ride and discussions showcased enduring warmth, even as India pressed for progress toward peace in Ukraine. Still, the summit highlighted the SCO’s limits. Observers including US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent noted that it was heavy on symbolism but light on substance. India, for its part, avoided endorsing sweeping anti-Western rhetoric and instead stuck to its principle of strategic autonomy.

Behind the scenes, India’s short-term engagement with SCO partners reflected practical needs. Russia continues to provide discounted energy and spare parts for older military systems. China remains a vital trade partner despite unresolved border tensions. These ties are compartmentalised, energy relations are transactional and territorial disputes remain unsettled, even as SCO membership preserves a channel of communication.

India’s longer-term orientation, however, remains firmly westward. Despite recent frictions under Trump’s tariffs on Indian goods and criticism of Russian oil purchases, the US continues to be India’s key partner in the Indo-Pacific. The relationship is reinforced by US willingness to share advanced technologies, expand defence cooperation, and invest in India’s economic transformation.

A bipartisan consensus in Washington sees India as critical to balancing China. Even so, Washington is uneasy about New Delhi’s insistence on treating Moscow as a privileged partner.

India views Russia as a long-standing supplier of defence equipment and energy, but the US considers this closeness at odds with its sanctions regime and wider strategy. The contradiction is sharper given that the US continues to arm and fund Pakistan, whose security establishment is openly hostile towards India. This double standard fuels scepticism in New Delhi, even as ties with Washington deepen in other areas.

Trump’s constitutional two-term limit means his influence over US foreign policy and by extension India-US relations is approaching its end. This relieves Indian policymakers of the uncertainty that one individual’s style can generate. Although his protectionist measures caused alarm initially, the underlying alignment between India and the US has endured, rooted in Indo-Pacific structural realities rather than personalities.

India’s presence at the Tianjin summit was therefore tactical, not a strategic shift.

Cooperation with the US in defence and technology, maritime coordination through the Quad, and efforts to diversify away from Chinese supply chains remain central to India’s strategy. The SCO forum adds flexibility but does not alter direction.

The challenge for New Delhi is one of perception management, convincing Washington that its SCO participation is transactional, not strategic, while also keeping communication channels open with Beijing and Moscow where necessary. This principle, autonomy within alignment, has been the hallmark of Indian diplomacy for decades.

At the summit, Modi balanced calls for counter-terrorism and peacebuilding with restraint, avoiding the anti-US rhetoric promoted by China and Russia. Displays of bilateral warmth coexisted with caution and compartmentalisation. Ultimately, the Tianjin summit illustrated India’s layered diplomacy.

Engagement with the SCO addresses short-term needs and prevents strategic isolation, while partnership with the US secures long-term momentum in the Indo-Pacific. This dual-track approach represents not a shift in direction but a nuanced balance anchored in the West, yet flexible amid Eurasian turbulence. Trump’s personal influence may fade with his term limit, but America’s need for India will remain. That structural reliance ensures India’s long-term trajectory continues westward, even as its tactical engagements adapt to regional realities.