World leaders convene for a ceremony marking their meeting with China's President Xi
China Hosts SCO Summit as World Leaders Gather in Tianjin
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit commenced on Sunday in Tianjin, China, with more than 20 leaders from member states and observer countries in attendance. This marks the bloc's largest meeting since its founding in 2001.
Among the assembled dignitaries are key speakers such as Xi Jinping (China), Vladimir Putin (Russia), Masoud Pezeshkian (Iran), Narendra Modi (India), and representatives from Turkey and Egypt. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is also expected to attend the military parade in Beijing.
Xi Jinping will deliver a speech during the opening ceremony, while Vladimir Putin is expected to hold talks on Monday with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan about regional security and cooperation, and with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian about strategic partnership and geopolitical alignment within the SCO framework.
The SCO consists of China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. The organisation has sometimes been touted as an alternative to the NATO military alliance by China and Russia.
India and China, intense rivals competing for influence across South Asia, have experienced a border clash in 2020. However, Modi expressed India's commitment to strengthening ties with China based on mutual trust, dignity, and sensitivity.
A significant police presence was deployed around the city, and large sections of Tianjin were closed to traffic. Official posters promoting the SCO lined the streets, displaying words such as "mutual benefit" and "equality" written in Chinese and Russian.
Xi held bilateral meetings with leaders such as Alexander Lukashenko and Narendra Modi. This year's summit is the first since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House. Putin arrived in Tianjin on Sunday with a group of senior politicians and business representatives.
The SCO also has 16 more countries affiliated as observers or "dialogue partners," highlighting the growing influence of the organisation on the global stage. The military parade in Beijing, scheduled for Wednesday, is set to be a significant event in the SCO summit.
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