Tianjin: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday announced that Beijing will provide 2-billion-yuan (approximately $281 million) in grants to Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states this year, reinforcing China’s push to shape the bloc’s future role in global security and development.
The 25th SCO Summit began with a high-profile gathering of world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Xi hosted a grand banquet on Sunday night to welcome more than 20 heads of state and 10 leaders of international organizations, making it the largest-ever assembly under the SCO framework.
In his opening remarks, Xi emphasized that the SCO had become a model for international cooperation, directly challenging Western-led frameworks. He pledged that China and its partners would strengthen multilateralism, resist “hegemonism and power politics,” and build what he described as a fairer, more inclusive global security order.
Without naming the United States, Xi slammed “bullying behavior” and “Cold War mentality,” calling on regional leaders to defend sovereignty, oppose external interference, and uphold justice in global affairs.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi actively engaged with fellow leaders, tweeting after his interactions with Putin and Xi: “Exchanging perspectives during the SCO Summit. Interactions in Tianjin continue!”
On the sidelines, Modi also met Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, reaffirming India’s developmental cooperation with the island nation, which he described as “greatly beneficial for our people.”
A key highlight of Modi’s visit will be his bilateral meeting with President Putin, expected later today. This comes amid heightened trade tensions with Washington after President Donald Trump’s administration slapped a 50% tariff on Indian goods in response to New Delhi’s purchase of Russian crude oil.
The SCO, originally a six-member grouping of Eurasian nations, has grown to include 10 permanent members and 16 observer and dialogue partners. This year’s summit, under China’s presidency, is being closely watched as the bloc positions itself as an alternative pole in an increasingly polarized world.
With Xi’s financial pledge and calls for collective security, along with Modi and Putin’s active participation, the Tianjin summit is shaping up to be a critical moment in Asia’s strategic diplomacy.