American political commentator and media host Van Jones has issued a stark warning following the recent summit in China, where major authoritarian leaders, including Vladimir Putin of Russia, Kim Jong-un of North Korea, and Iran’s leader, stood alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present – a development Jones suggests stems partly from US tariffs pushing India closer to China.
Jones described the gathering as a “historically big deal” and a powerful symbol of a “new world order” that does not favour Western democracies. Reflecting on a now viral photograph of Xi Jinping, Putin, and Modi together, Jones said: “That image of Xi Jinping with Putin, with Modi, with the leader of Iran, and the leader of North Korea, should send a chill down the spine of every American,” he stated on CNN. He added, “That is a new world order… The West is now in a box… It is everybody against us.” Jones called the image “a dagger pointed at the heart of the West,” emphasising the moment’s gravity.
Highlighting the urgency for American leadership, Jones stressed that US policymakers must prioritise uniting the country and rebuilding international alliances. “We need to bring democracies like India back into the fold,” he said, arguing that current trajectories risk alienating key partners and ceding influence to an authoritarian bloc.
Jones referenced historical US foreign policy strategies, noting how past leaders balanced relations between the US, China, and Russia to maintain stability. “Now, we’re on the bad end of the triangle,” he explained, suggesting that the US faces a strategic challenge unlike any seen before.