India, Sept. 6 -- China's manoeuvring is a reminder that Beijing seeks to play all sides.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek last week offered a revealing glimpse into Beijing's delicate diplomatic choreography. On paper, the ten-country bloc stood united in condemning "military strikes" against fellow member Iran. Yet Xi Jinping's decision to avoid a formal bilateral meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian underscored the careful tightrope China is walking: supporting Iran enough to preserve strategic ties, but not so visibly as to alienate Washington or Gulf partners.

The SCO's statement of solidarity with Iran was predictable. As a regional security forum dominated by China and Russia, it often pos...