NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi’s friendly gestures with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the SCO Summit on Monday drew more attention than the official proceedings, setting off a wave of reactions on Chinese social media.Their “hand-in-hand” walk, a hug, and a ride together in Putin’s Aurus Senat limousine quickly went viral. On Baidu, China’s biggest search engine, the top trend read: “Modi and Putin hugged and chatted hand-in-hand.” On Weibo, the leading social media platform, the headline was: “Modi takes Putin’s car.”Reports said Putin waited about 10 minutes for Modi so they could travel together from the summit venue to their bilateral meeting. What began as a short drive turned into a 45-minute exchange, as the two kept talking even after arriving.Posting a photo from the car, Modi wrote on X: “After the proceedings at the SCO Summit venue, President Putin and I travelled together to the venue of our bilateral meeting. Conversations with him are always insightful.”The timing of the optics is important. Russia remains under strict Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine, while India is facing pressure from the US and Europe for continuing its energy and defence ties with Moscow. Analysts saw Modi’s public warmth with Putin as a message that New Delhi intends to keep its “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” intact despite global concerns.Their one-hour meeting later covered cooperation in trade, fertilisers, space, defence and culture, with Modi repeating India’s call for a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict.For China, which hosted the summit, the images highlighted changing power dynamics in the region. The surge of online interest in the Modi-Putin chemistry suggested a wider public reading of the two leaders as symbols of a counterbalance to Western influence.As one Weibo user remarked: “Modi rides Putin’s car – that’s more symbolic than any speech at the summit.”