Morning brief: Modi meets Xi and Putin in defiance of Trump; Asian factory activity shrinks

Morning brief: Modi meets Xi and Putin in defiance of Trump; Asian factory activity shrinks [https://invezz.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/image-29.webp] A new and defiant chapter in global diplomacy is unfolding, as a high-stakes meeting between the leaders of India and China signals a significant realignment of power in Asia. This diplomatic pivot comes as a fresh wave of data reveals the punishing impact of US tariffs on the region’s manufacturing powerhouses, forcing nations to forge new partnerships in a world increasingly fractured by trade disputes. Here’s your one-stop stand to catch up on all the headlines you may have missed. MODI SHORES UP TIES WITH CHINA AND RUSSIA IN DEFIANCE OF TRUMP In his first trip to China in seven years, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has moved to reset relations with his powerful neighbor, while also strengthening ties with Russia, in a clear and defiant response to rising tensions with the United States. Modi held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin on Sunday, with both leaders pledging to be “partners, not rivals.” On Monday, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.…