Beijing: China is gearing up to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the northern port city of Tianjin from August 31 to September 1, drawing more than 20 world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The summit comes at a time of rising global tension, with US President Donald Trump insisting on new trade tariffs even as Beijing seeks to strengthen alliances in the East.
The SCO meeting is widely seen as a stage for China to demonstrate its growing influence in global geopolitics. Leaders from Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East are expected to attend, creating a forum for dialogue on economic cooperation, regional security, and multilateral collaboration. Analysts view the summit as particularly significant for trilateral discussions between India, China, and Russia, a strategic axis that has drawn attention amid mounting US trade pressure.
For Prime Minister Modi, the Tianjin visit marks his first trip to China since the 2020 border clashes that strained relations between the two nations. Officials note that Modi’s presence reflects a cautious thaw in bilateral ties. The summit follows Modi’s earlier meetings with President Xi Jinping and President Putin at the BRICS summit in Kazan, and Russian diplomatic sources in New Delhi have hinted at the possibility of trilateral talks during the SCO sessions.
Chinese President Xi Jinping appears intent on positioning the SCO as a counterweight to the US-led global order. Observers suggest that discussions between China, Russia, India, and Iran could lead to deeper economic and strategic collaboration, defying Trump’s imposition of new tariffs. A senior Chinese Foreign Ministry official described the 2025 summit as “the largest since the SCO was established in 2001,” and highlighted the bloc’s role in shaping a “new level of international relations.”
While Prime Minister Modi is expected to return to India immediately after the summit, President Putin will remain in China longer than usual, attending a World War II military parade in Beijing later this week. His extended stay signals Moscow’s commitment to the evolving SCO framework and underscores the summit’s geopolitical importance.
With high-stakes diplomacy unfolding in Tianjin, global attention will focus not only on ceremonial handshakes but also on strategic dialogues that could reshape alliances and recalibrate the balance of power in Asia and beyond.