China’s recent hosting of Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has renewed fears of an “anti-Western alliance,” according to security experts. Wolfgang Ischinger, president of the Munich Security Conference Foundation Council, told CNBC that the images of these leaders together at a Beijing military parade were “worrisome” and reflected a shift toward authoritarian cooperation. Analysts warned that dismissing these ties due to the lack of a formal treaty ignores the substance of a functional partnership. Others argued the summit is unlikely to evolve into a traditional military alliance and doubted the bloc would progress beyond its current form.
