The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin on August 31–September 1 is set to be the largest gathering in the bloc’s history with Chinese President Xi Jinping hosting more than 20 world leaders in what is being projected as a show of Global South unity. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be among the prominent participants.
For Modi, this will mark his first visit to China in over seven years, underscoring the cautious thaw in relations between New Delhi and Beijing after the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes. The summit also takes place against the backdrop of renewed tariff pressure from the U.S. under President Donald Trump.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit
The SCO, which began as a six-member Eurasian security grouping, now has 10 permanent members and 16 dialogue and observer partners, as per a report on Reuters. Its agenda has broadened to include not only security but also economic cooperation, infrastructure connectivity, energy partnerships and cultural exchanges.
Analysts say this year’s meeting will be closely watched for the trilateral dynamic among Xi, Putin and Modi, who last shared a stage at the 2024 BRICS summit in Kazan. With Western powers continuing to isolate Moscow over the Ukraine war, the Kremlin is expected to seek stronger coordination with India and China within the SCO framework.
Following the Tianjin summit, Modi is scheduled to return to India, while Putin will remain in China to attend a World War II victory parade in Beijing on September 3. The event, marking 80 years since the end of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, will feature China’s latest military hardware, including hypersonic missile systems and unmanned platforms.
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