China Launches Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit with Participation of World Leaders
On Monday, September 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin.
Leaders from the ten member states gathered for the official photo, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The summit also features United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn.
Xi is chairing the twenty-fifth meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the organization, along with a “Shanghai Plus” format meeting that includes partner countries and observer organizations. Several agreements to enhance cooperation in security, economic, and cultural fields are expected to be adopted during this session, which China’s Deputy Foreign Minister Liu Bin described as “the most important in the organization’s history.”
International conflicts, primarily the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East, dominate the summit’s agenda. Since assuming the rotating presidency of the organization in July 2024, China has organized over 100 events under the banner of “Sustainable Development Year of Shanghai Cooperation.”
Established in 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization includes China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus. This bloc represents 42% of the global population and nearly a quarter of the world’s GDP, and is sometimes viewed as an Eurasian alternative to Western institutions like NATO and the G7.
