President Donald Trump said today that the United States had “lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China.” This was in response to pictures of the leaders of the three countries making high-profile visits in China.
In his early morning post on Truth Social , he wrote, “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China.” May they have a long and prosperous future together!”
Trump’s new post came after a week of carefully planned diplomacy in China. Xi Jinping held a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also sponsored a separate military parade in Beijing where he was seen with Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump talked openly about the Beijing optics on Wednesday. He brought up how the U.S. helped China during the war and sent a clear message to Xi, Putin, and Kim: “Please send my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un as you plot against the United States of America.” He also reminded people that “many Americans died” during World War II to help China gain its freedom. The capital letters in his post looked like they were penned.
Trump slams Xi, Putin, and Kim over their Beijing appearance, warning they’re aligning against the U.S. and invoking WWII-era U.S. support for China.
— Virginia Times (@global_break) September 3, 2025
👉 https://t.co/7tEUwfbEq8#VirginiaTimes #Trump #BeijingSummit #Geopolitics #USChina
Why the gap is important
The comments show a bigger change. This week, videos and pictures from China showed Xi, Putin, and Kim together in a Victory Day-style parade. This was their first public appearance together. Modi and Putin also met and strolled together at the SCO venue, which got a lot of attention and alarm in Washington.
Background: How the conflicts grew
Trump’s struggle with China goes back to his first term, when he started a tariff fight after the U.S. looked into Beijing’s technology transfer and intellectual property abuses under Section 301. That trade battle became worse from 2018 to 2019, and it started up again this year when Trump put fresh tariffs on all Chinese goods.
Tensions have risen with Russia because of Moscow’s war in Ukraine and greater military connections with North Korea. This is why Putin and Kim are meeting in Beijing this week.
India and the United States have been having a lot of problems lately because the U.S. put high tariffs on Indian goods saying India was buying cheap Russian energy. On Friday, India’s finance minister indicated that the government will keep buying Russian crude oil as long as it is cheap, even though discussions between the U.S. and India have halted.
What officials are saying (and not saying)
Regarding Trump’s post on Truth Social “lost India and Russia”, India, Chinese and Russian officials didn’t answer yet.
The bottom line
Trump’s posts made it look like the week was a public test of alignment, with Beijing showing leadership, Moscow and Pyongyang showing support, and New Delhi balancing energy and strategic interests. It will depend on what happens beyond the optics in Tianjin and Beijing to see if this means a long-term strategic bloc or just a hard-edged summit spectacle.
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