Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Leader Xi Jinping will host Prime Minister Modi, President Vladimir Putin, and leaders from over 20 Eurasian countries at Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1.
Leaders from Central, South, and SE Asia and the Middle East will attend the Summit.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China for the first time in seven years as both countries continue efforts to ease border tensions and strengthen economic relations which had nosedived due to deadly Galwan clashes in 2020. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had recently visited New Delhi and met India’s PM, NSA and foreign minister.
Chinese officials said this year’s summit will be largest since the SCO’s founding in 2001 calling the bloc an important force in building a new type of international relations. Initially founded by six Eurasian nations to coordinate on security and counterterrorism, the SCO has since expanded to 10 permanent members and 16 dialogue and observer states, extending its agenda to economic and military cooperation.
Experts say geopolitical shifts may lend urgency to the ongoing reproachment between India and China. The easing of border tensions, talks of de-escalation and “early harvest” in border talks with China as well as India’s deteriorating relations with the US owing to imposition of 50% tariffs by Trump administration are fueling expectations of a constructive meeting between Xi and Modi. Their bilateral talks may focus on de-escalation at Line of Actual Control (LAC), trade facilitation, visa easing, climate cooperation and people-to-people engagement.
After Modi leaves, Putin is likely to stay for a World War II military parade in Beijing, marking an unusually long foreign visit for the Russian leader.
“Xi will want to use the summit as an opportunity to showcase what a post-American led international order will begin to look like and the US efforts to counter China, Russia, Iran and now India have not had the intended effect,” says Eric Olander, editor-in-chief of the China-Global South Project.
Chinese media outlets like CGTN have talked about SCO’s “Shanghai Spirit” being significant – core aspects include mutual respect, consensus-based decision-making, and adaptability to the changing times. SCO’s expanded agenda may include cooperation on energy transition and AI.
Russian officials in New Delhi said the trilateral involving Russia, India and China will take place soon.
