Archive · 29 Aug 2026
Modi’s September Diplomacy Tests Global Power Shifts Amid Trade Tensions
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is planning several important meetings with leaders from other countries.
He will visit Uzbekistan and attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Bishkek.
India will then host a BRICS meeting on September 12 and 13.
These meetings will discuss security, trade and cooperation between countries.
Some leaders, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, are expected to attend, while China’s Xi Jinping has not been officially confirmed.
Some BRICS countries are trying to use their own currencies more often, but India does not support creating one shared BRICS currency.
At the same time, the United States and Canada are arguing over trade and tariffs.
Canada is responding with tariffs of its own, while Donald Trump has proposed calling Lake Ontario “Lake America,” a name Canada rejects.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Uzbekistan and attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek from August 31 to September 1.
India will host the BRICS summit on September 12 and 13, with participation by several major leaders expected but Xi Jinping’s attendance not officially confirmed.
The summits will address security, connectivity, opportunity, resilience and cooperation amid geopolitical tensions involving Ukraine and Iran.
India opposes creating a BRICS currency, while China and Russia are increasingly using the yuan and rouble in some transactions to reduce dollar dependence.
A US-Canada trade dispute has intensified through new tariffs, a Canadian aid package and President Donald Trump’s disputed proposal to rename Lake Ontario.
- Who
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS countries, US President Donald Trump, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
- What
- A series of diplomatic summits and bilateral meetings will take place alongside an escalating US-Canada trade and naming dispute.
- When
- Modi’s visits and summits are scheduled from late August through September, including the SCO summit on August 31-September 1, the BRICS summit on September 12-13, and a proposed Xi-Trump meeting on September 24.
- Where
- The events involve Tashkent and Bishkek, the India-hosted BRICS summit, the White House, and Lake Ontario.
- Why
- The meetings aim to strengthen partnerships and discuss security, connectivity, cooperation and financial issues, while the US-Canada dispute stems from a breakdown in trade talks and disagreements over tariffs, military issues and resources.
Supporters of Strategic Alternatives
Opponents and Skeptics
A possible BRICS currency
Supporters of Strategic Alternatives
Brazil’s president proposed a common BRICS currency for trade and investment to reduce exposure to fluctuations in the US dollar.
Opponents and Skeptics
India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said India opposes introducing such a proposal, and the article says a BRICS currency is not yet official policy.
US-Canada trade dispute
Supporters of Strategic Alternatives
The United States accused Canada’s prime minister of abandoning trade negotiations for political reasons and imposed higher tariffs on Canadian vehicles, parts and steel.
Opponents and Skeptics
Canada accused the United States of treating it like a subsidiary and harming its industries, then announced retaliatory tariffs and financial support for affected workers and firms.
Renaming Lake Ontario
Supporters of Strategic Alternatives
Trump said renaming the lake addressed Canada’s alleged failures on trade and military matters and presented the move as part of US pressure on Canada.
Opponents and Skeptics
Carney said Canadians would continue calling it Lake Ontario, emphasizing that the name is more than 400 years old; the article also says the lake is under both countries’ jurisdiction.
- Modi’s itinerary
- He is expected to visit Tashkent for two days before travelling to Bishkek for the SCO summit.
- SCO summit
- The 26th summit is scheduled for August 31 to September 1 in Bishkek.
- BRICS summit
- India will host the meeting on September 12 and 13 under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”
- BRICS membership
- The bloc has expanded to 11 official members and 10 partner countries, according to the article.
- Dollar dependence
- The article states that about 60% of global foreign-exchange reserves are held in US dollars.
- Canadian retaliation
- Canada announced tariffs of 15% to 50% on around 700 US goods from September 8 and a 5.4-billion-dollar aid package.
- Lake Ontario dispute
- Trump signed an order proposing the name “Lake America,” but the article says the United States cannot compel Canada to use it.