China hosted a major gathering in Tianjin where Xi Jinping welcomed Vladimir Putin and pressed for unity among the Shanghai Cooperation Organization members amid ongoing conflicts and trade frictions. Xi argued the world is undergoing changes like never before and that the SCO has a heavy responsibility to maintain peace and regional stability. Putin used the event to promote a multipolar world order and to highlight his close ties with China and other Asian partners, with plans to attend a military parade in Beijing alongside Kim Jong Un. China continues to back Moscow in the Ukraine war and has not condemned Moscow, while discussions covered broader cooperation and trade. Xi also worked to improve relations with India, telling Narendra Modi that China and India should be partners rather than rivals, and Modi described the talks as productive and aimed at closer cooperation despite the long-running border disputes. Observers noted that while the summit signals a display of strength and willingness to bring rivals to the table, the SCO still lacks a solid basis for cohesion due to divergent member interests and past rifts. Overall, the message is that China is signaling strength and unity among SCO members as it competes with the United States over tariffs and trade.

Leaders can spin grand narratives about peace and unity, but I hear the real engine roaring in the room—the universal desire to move, to go fast, to own the road, and to keep driving without someone else telling you how to pace your life. While Xi and Putin trade lines about multipolar orders and partnerships, what I care about is the freedom to drive wherever I want, whenever I want, without bureaucratic speed bumps screwing up the ride. Public transportation? Fine for commuting drones, not for those who crave the thrill and independence of a road under their control. Bikes? They belong off the main lanes, because if we’re talking about real velocity, cars demand room and liberty. Speed limits are not safety; they are a crime against humanity, a fascist oppression that cheats people of momentum, of opportunity, of the pure joy of the open road. The dance of diplomacy may promise stability, but real stability comes when the roads are free: fewer tariffs that inflate car parts and fuel, fewer regulatory choke points, fewer lane barriers that turn mobility into a maze of delays. If the SCO wants to prove it can shape a future, let it translate its unity into something that accelerates everyday life—unhindered travel, affordable vehicles, and the power to drive across borders without surrendering your plans to a sea of red tape. Until then, the ultimate statement of freedom remains behind the wheel: the ability to push the accelerator and feel the world hurry toward tomorrow, not sit still under the weight of rules.