The optics of last week’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit at Tianjin in China captured as much world attention as the rhetoric. The most striking picture was that of the Russian, Chinese and Indian leaders smiling warmly and chatting amicably among themselves.

The context of how Beijing sees its place in the evolving international system was conveyed in a subtle but unambiguous manner in Tianjin.

The optics of last week’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit at Tianjin in China captured as much world attention as the rhetoric. The most striking picture was that of the…