China’s port city of Tianjin is set to become the stage for high-stakes diplomacy as world leaders gather for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, hosted by President Xi Jinping . Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin are among the most closely watched attendees, marking PM Modi ’s first visit to China since 2018.
The SCO meet unfolds against the backdrop of global unease triggered by Trump’s tariff offensive. Trump has imposed a 50% duty on India over its "massive" oil imports from Russia, threatened China with similar penalties, and continues efforts to "broker peace" in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Xi, who in July 2024 told SCO members in Kazakhstan that "no mountain or ocean can distance people who have shared aspirations," is expected to leverage the summit to project China as a stabilising force and rally the Global South against US influence. The presence of PM Modi, representing the world’s largest democracy, alongside President Putin, who maintains firm control over the largest-country in the world -- Russia, adding further weight to the gathering in Tianjin.
Who's attending
More than 20 foreign leaders and the heads of 10 international organisations are likely to attend. Confirmed participants include:
According to CNN, delegations will also arrive from 16 SCO partner and observer countries, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Cambodia, Bahrain, and Nato member Turkey.
What is the SCO?
Founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has grown into a major regional bloc. Its agenda spans joint counterterrorism drills, intelligence sharing against “terrorism, separatism, and extremism,” and expanding cooperation in trade, education, and energy.
The grouping also promotes a “just” international order, shorthand for a multipolar system not dominated by one superpower and its allies.
The SCO meet unfolds against the backdrop of global unease triggered by Trump’s tariff offensive. Trump has imposed a 50% duty on India over its "massive" oil imports from Russia, threatened China with similar penalties, and continues efforts to "broker peace" in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Xi, who in July 2024 told SCO members in Kazakhstan that "no mountain or ocean can distance people who have shared aspirations," is expected to leverage the summit to project China as a stabilising force and rally the Global South against US influence. The presence of PM Modi, representing the world’s largest democracy, alongside President Putin, who maintains firm control over the largest-country in the world -- Russia, adding further weight to the gathering in Tianjin.
Who's attending
More than 20 foreign leaders and the heads of 10 international organisations are likely to attend. Confirmed participants include:
- PM Modi (India)
- President Vladimir Putin (Russia)
- President Masoud Pezeshkian (Iran)
- PM Shehbaz Sharif (Pakistan)
- President Alexander Lukashenko (Belarus)
- President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (Kazakhstan)
- President Shavkat Mirziyoyev (Uzbekistan)
- President Sadyr Japarov (Kyrgyzstan)
- President Emomali Rahmon (Tajikistan)
According to CNN, delegations will also arrive from 16 SCO partner and observer countries, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Cambodia, Bahrain, and Nato member Turkey.
What is the SCO?
Founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has grown into a major regional bloc. Its agenda spans joint counterterrorism drills, intelligence sharing against “terrorism, separatism, and extremism,” and expanding cooperation in trade, education, and energy.
The grouping also promotes a “just” international order, shorthand for a multipolar system not dominated by one superpower and its allies.
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