Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping were seen in an informal interaction on the sidelines of the 25th SCO Heads of State Council Summit.
Videos shared from the venue showed the three leaders sharing some light moments, while Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif was left out.
#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other Heads of States/Heads of Governments pose for a group photograph at the Shanghai Cooperation Council (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China.
(Source: DD News) pic.twitter.com/UftzXy6g3K
— ANI (@ANI) September 1, 2025
SCO Summit In China
The 25th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) began on Monday, bringing together heads of state from the 10-member bloc for a day-long deliberation on the organisation’s future direction.
Xi Jinping is chairing the summit this year under China’s presidency. The formal proceedings followed a grand banquet hosted by Xi on Sunday evening, attended by Modi, Putin, and several other dignitaries.
This year’s gathering is being described as the largest SCO summit to date. China has extended invitations to 20 foreign leaders and 10 heads of international organisations, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, for the expanded “SCO Plus” format.
On Monday, leaders are expected to deliver addresses outlining their vision for the grouping’s role amid shifting global dynamics. Modi’s intervention is being closely watched in the backdrop of the US-China trade tensions and his one-on-one meeting with Xi on Sunday, widely seen as an attempt to set a fresh roadmap for bilateral ties.
In his banquet speech, Xi underlined the SCO’s growing responsibility in promoting regional peace, stability, and development at a time of “increasing uncertainties and accelerated changes” in the international order. He voiced confidence that the summit would strengthen unity among member states, enhance cooperation across the Global South, and contribute to “the progress of human civilisation.”
Founded in Shanghai in 2001, the SCO began with six founding members but has since expanded into a 26-nation grouping comprising 10 full members, two observers, and 14 dialogue partners, spanning Asia, Europe, and Africa. With heavyweight economies such as China, Russia, and India, the organisation today represents nearly half of the world’s population and a quarter of global GDP. The summit agenda is expected to cover regional security challenges, counter-terrorism cooperation, trade facilitation, connectivity, and the broader role of the SCO in shaping multipolarity in the international system.
