Modi, Xi, Putin at SCO Summit in China’s Tianjin: Why this is the bloc’s biggest meeting ever

After seven long years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting China, where he met with the Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit (SCO) being held in Tianjin on August 31 and September 1.

This year’s summit is of significance for multiple reasons: It will be the organisation’s largest gathering of heads of state to date — 20 world leaders, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, Nepal’s Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, among others, will be in attendance.

It also comes at a time when the existing liberal international order is rapidly disintegrating. Also, both India and China are facing tariff heat from America and its president, Donald Trump.

What is the SCO? Who are its members?

Before we deep dive into this year’s SCO and its importance, let’s understand what is this grouping and who are its members.

Founded in 2001, the SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance, which comprised China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Its aim is to promote cooperation and peace among its member states, as well as fostering “a new democratic, fair and rational international political and economic order.” Its charter outlines principles such as mutual respect for sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, equality, and mutual benefit.

Since its establishment, the SCO has grown rapidly. India and Pakistan joined in 2017, Iran in 2023, and Belarus in 2024. Beyond these 10 member states, the SCO also has two observers — Afghanistan and Mongolia — and 14 dialogue partners, including Turkey, Egypt, Armenia and Azerbaijan, several of the Gulf states, and a number of other Asian states. If measured by population of its core member states, it is the world’s largest regional organisation.

What makes this SCO different from others?

For this year’s SCO, China is the rotating chair, with Xi Jinping hosting it. What makes the SCO even more significant this year, are the leaders who are attending it. Besides Xi, the SCO Summit will see 20 world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh are also attending the summit in Tianjin. From the subcontinent, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, Nepal’s Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu will also be present.

Officials of 10 international organisations, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev, will attend the event, making the largest in the organisation’s history.

Why is this year’s SCO important for India?

Modi attending this year’s SCO is of note. There are a number of reasons that makes this summit important for India.

Firstly, the SCO comes at a time when India faces increased pressure from the West, namely the United States about oil purchases from Russia and the Trump administration’s imposition of tariffs on New Delhi. US ties with Pakistan have also rankled India.

Facing such a situation, India would like to project an image of strength and it will be interesting to see how India is viewed amongst the SCO members.

At the SCO, India is also seeking stronger condemnation of cross-border terrorism. In fact, at a joint media briefing with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Tanmaya Lal, said India is working with other SCO members and partners to ensure “strong condemnation” of terrorism in the summit declaration.

“As far as the declaration at this [upcoming] summit is concerned, that is under finalisation…We are working with other members and partners to see that there should be a reiteration of the strong condemnation of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism,” he said. “The security of the region remains a priority for the SCO members.”

Notably, this year’s SCO comes in the backdrop of India’s Operation Sindoor, which targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack in April that killed 26 civilians. This triggered four days of intense hostilities that ended with an understanding between the two sides on May 10.

Beyond SCO, too, Modi’s presence in China is of importance as it signals a thaw between the two nations. Modi had a bilateral discussion with Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit, during which normalisation of the relationship and border issues are likely figured.

Is the SCO looking to reshape the world order?

The SCO Summit is also of significance to Xi and China. The Chinese president is looking to bolster his image as a world leader with a coherent plan for global governance. As Bloomberg reported, he is preparing to approve the SCO’s development strategy for the next decade and set out his vision for global governance.

“China is putting in a lot of effort and using its influence to make it one of the biggest SCO summits ever,” Dylan Loh, assistant professor at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, told Bloomberg. “This is also a statement of intent and demonstration of China’s growing profile and power — particularly in the context of US-China competition and suggestions of domestic economic malaise.”

Xi may also push for the wider use of payment systems and currencies in an attempt to step away from the US dollar and Western financial institutions. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute also noted that there was a possibility that the Chinese leader would exploit the SCO summit to promote the Chinese Communist Party’s ‘correct’ view of history.

Experts point out that the SCO grouping is of importance to Xi as he taps it and other China-backed bodies such as Brics in remaking the world order and helping Beijing stake out a leadership role, especially as a champion of the Global South.

All eyes will also be trained on Russia’s Vladimir Putin. The SCO will offer Putin a chance to talk with Xi and Modi directly about the outcome of his meeting in Alaska with Trump and the prospect of reaching an agreement to end the war in Ukraine.

Also, it will be a rare opportunity for Putin to meet with his two most important energy partners — India and China . Together, both nations purchased more than half of Russia’s energy exports since the start of 2023, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

Experts note that the SCO Summit, which comes amid the US president’s imposition of punitive tariffs, might also result in the most powerful countries – China, Russia and India – aligning more closely against the US.

But for all of this, there are challenges for the SCO. There are several internal contradictions and issues. For instance, Delhi’s fraught ties with Beijing and even Delhi’s disputes with Islamabad. In such a situation, it will be interesting to see what comes out of this year’s SCO.

With inputs from agencies