The Axis of Realignment: How India, Russia, and China Are Reshaping Global Power—and What It Means for Burma and Venezuela

The world is entering a profound geopolitical transition. At the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, India, Russia, and China projected a clear message: the West is no longer indispensable. While no leader uttered those words directly, their coordinated rhetoric and behavior revealed a shared vision of a multipolar order designed to weaken U.S. influence and reorient global power.

This shift carries immediate and lasting implications for countries caught in the struggle between Western norms and Eastern-backed authoritarianism—most notably Burma (Myanmar) in Southeast Asia and Venezuela in Latin America.

A Multipolar World in the Making

Chinese President Xi Jinping used the SCO platform to denounce “bullying behavior” and Cold War mentalities, underscoring Beijing’s ambition to reshape the global order through alternative institutions, such as a proposed SCO development bank. Russia’s Vladimir Putin doubled down on blaming NATO expansion and Western interference for global instability, presenting Moscow as a defender of “balance” against Western dominance.

India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took a subtler but equally significant stance. By engaging closely with Xi and Putin at the summit—including his first visit to China in seven years—Modi signaled that India is willing to align with non-Western partners even as it maintains strained ties with Washington. The optics of Modi holding hands with Putin were symbolic: India is not rejecting the West outright but is hedging toward a world where U.S. leadership is optional, not essential.

Implications for Burma (Myanmar)

For Burma, these shifts are existential. The military junta, led by Min Aung Hlaing, has faced Western sanctions and condemnation since the 2021 coup. But at the SCO summit, both India and China extended diplomatic validation.

• India announced it would send observers to the junta’s upcoming 2025 elections, despite ongoing civil war and human rights abuses.

• China reaffirmed its support, continuing its strategy of propping up regimes that resist Western influence.

The consequences are profound:

• Legitimacy for the Junta: Regional backing undermines Western-led efforts to pressure for democratic reforms.

• Strategic Leverage: By engaging the junta, India secures its borderlands while China strengthens its influence across Southeast Asia.

• Erosion of Human Rights Pressure: With SCO as a diplomatic shield, Burma gains room to maneuver without capitulating to Western demands.

What was once a pariah state now enjoys recognition from some of the world’s most powerful governments, diminishing the effectiveness of Western isolation strategies.

Implications for Venezuela

Across the globe, Venezuela has become another flashpoint in the East–West divide. For years, Nicolás Maduro’s government has relied on Moscow and Beijing to survive U.S. sanctions and regional isolation.

• China absorbs the vast majority of Venezuela’s oil exports, making the country economically dependent on Beijing.

• Russia provides political and military support, shielding Maduro from Western diplomatic pressure.

• India has cautiously re-entered Venezuelan oil markets under U.S.-approved licenses, signaling its willingness to engage even amid Western restrictions.

The broader implications:

• Weakening U.S. Leverage: Sanctions lose potency as trade and financing flow through non-Western partners.

• Multipolar Solidarity: Venezuela becomes a poster child for the emerging order, rejecting Washington in favor of Eastern alliances.

• Long-Term Entrenchment: Chinese and Russian investments ensure that Venezuela’s economy remains tethered to their geopolitical ambitions, rather than Western reintegration.

The Shared Pattern

Burma and Venezuela reveal the same trajectory: regimes shunned by the West are finding lifelines in the emerging triad of India, Russia, and China.

This is not a fragmented set of policies but a strategic realignment. By elevating the SCO and similar structures, India, Russia, and China are legitimizing regimes that defy Western norms, building a multipolar order that reduces U.S. influence region by region.

Conclusion: The Waning Grip of the West

The SCO summit was more than a symbolic gathering; it was a declaration of intent. For Burma, it means the junta can consolidate power with international backing. For Venezuela, it entrenches a survival strategy based on Eastern patrons. For the United States and its allies, it signals that old tools of sanctions, isolation, and diplomatic pressure are becoming blunt in a world where alternatives are multiplying.

The global contest is no longer about who leads but about whether leadership itself is fragmented—where the West is not unnecessary but increasingly optional. That reality should alarm policymakers in Washington and Brussels, as authoritarian regimes find shelter under a new geopolitical umbrella.

References

• Financial Times. (2025). Xi outlines China's ambition to reshape world order.

• The Guardian. (2025). Xi Jinping criticises 'bullying behaviour' and Putin blames west for Ukraine war at Shanghai summit.

• Reuters. (2025). India backs Myanmar military's election plan, state-media says.

• Reuters. (2025). After talks with Xi, Modi, Putin says NATO enlargement has to be addressed on Ukraine.

• The Daily Beast. (2025). Putin awkwardly holds hands with world leader at anti-West summit.

• Atlantic Council. (2024). China and Russia engage Latin America and the Caribbean differently, but both threaten U.S. interests.

• Reuters. (2024). PDVSA, Reliance resume oil swap under U.S. license.

• New York Post. (2024). China’s scheme in Maduro’s corrupt Venezuela to thwart the U.S.