‘Those who share the same goal; no mountain or sea can separate them’ – this is what Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his speech at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan last year.
At that time, it seemed like an exaggeration to hear this Chinese proverb in Xi Jinping’s voice during the speech. His statement had no match with the reality of the time.
Before the start of the SCO summit in 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India had announced in the Parliament that he was not going to attend the summit. Despite being an important member of the alliance, the announcement of not attending the summit was an indication of India’s open disregard for the alliance led by Beijing and Moscow.
But now – a year later, the geographical and political landscape of the world has changed a lot. This year, China is hosting the SCO summit. The two-day summit began today, Sunday. The largest number of leaders are expected to attend this year’s summit.
Indian Prime Minister Modi arrived in China on Saturday to attend the summit. This is his first visit to China since 2018. Russian President Vladimir Putin also arrived today.
The two neighboring countries, China and India, have a border dispute. However, relations between them have started to cool since late last year. US President Donald Trump’s imposition of 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods has forced New Delhi to move closer to Beijing and strengthen ties. India is also looking to build good relations with other influential countries in Eurasia.
Many countries are having to deal with the chaotic situation created around the world due to Trump’s tariffs and threats of new tariffs. Analysts believe that in such a situation, the SCO summit will serve as a major platform to present themselves as a stable force before Xi Jinping.
Many countries are struggling to cope with the chaotic situation created by Trump’s tariffs and threats of new tariffs. Analysts believe that in such a situation, the SCO summit will serve as a major platform to present themselves as a stable force in front of Xi Jinping. It will bring together the countries of the southern hemisphere and enable them to maintain the balance of power with the Western world, especially the United States.
Where is the summit being held, who is participating
This year’s SCO summit is being held in the Chinese port city of Tianjin on the shores of the Bohai Sea. The two-day summit will be held today, August 31 and tomorrow, September 1.
More than 20 heads of state and government from different countries and heads of 10 international organizations are scheduled to attend the summit.
Different countries have come to this platform for different reasons. For example, Central Asian countries have joined out of concerns about their security and an interest in increasing economic relations with China. For India, the main reason is to suppress regional terrorism.
—Manoj Kewalramani, Chairperson of the Indo-Pacific Studies Program at the Taxila Institution
These leaders include SCO member states—Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Myanmar’s military chief Min Aung Hlaing, Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Maldives President Mohamed Mujibur Rahman are among the leaders expected to attend the summit.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Horn will also attend the summit.
Why the summit is important
This year’s SCO summit comes at a time when Trump’s tariff war has begun around the world, the war in Ukraine is ongoing, Israel’s massacre in Gaza continues, and security concerns have arisen in South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.
More than 20 heads of state and government from different countries and heads of 10 international organizations are expected to attend the summit.
In this regard, Manoj Kewalramani, chairperson of the Indo-Pacific Studies Program at the Taxila Institution in Bengaluru, India, said, “The world is clearly in a state of instability now. At the conference, they, especially China and Russia, will argue that the world is now entering an era of multi-polarization and will want to present integral security as the path forward.
Many believe that the integrated initiatives created by many countries are in an existential crisis due to US policies. Manoj Kewalramani said, “That is why the SCO summit is important. The countries of the alliance are still against unilateral influence.
What is the SCO’s position on various important issues?
The alliance often disagrees on important geopolitical issues. For example, Russia has managed to get almost all SCO members to agree with its interests in its war in Ukraine. However, India is trying to play a balanced role instead. New Delhi wants to maintain peace and strong relations with Ukraine, while continuing to buy record amounts of oil from Russia.
On Thursday, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called on SCO members to clearly state their positions on the war in Ukraine at this year’s summit.
Influential economies often have close ties. So the US will not only be watching India; it will also be watching how Pakistan, Iran, and even Russia and China build channels of communication between themselves on important geopolitical issues and trade at the SCO summit.
—Alejandro Reyes, Associate Professor of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong
The SCO has divisions on issues including Israel’s war in Gaza and occupation of the West Bank, Lebanon and Iran.
The SCO condemned Israel’s attack on Iran this year. But India did not support the joint statement condemning the Israeli attack. India has close ties with Israel.
Similarly, there are disagreements within the SCO alliance on India and Pakistan.
Manoj Kewalramani, explaining the reasons for such disagreements, said, “Different countries have come to this platform for different reasons. For example, Central Asian countries have joined out of concern for their own security and out of an interest in increasing economic ties with China. For India, the main reason is to combat regional terrorism.”
What it means for the United States
US President Trump has repeatedly criticized the alliances of countries in the Southern Hemisphere. In the past, he has threatened to destroy the BRICS alliance by threatening to impose specific tariffs on its members. He has called BRICS “anti-American.”
Alejandro Reyes, an associate professor of politics and public administration at the University of Hong Kong, said the US would be closely monitoring this year’s SCO summit. This monitoring could also help set the tone for the Quad summit that India is hosting later this year.
India, Japan, Australia and the US formed the Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue in 2007 to counter China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region.
India has been building closer ties with the US and its allies over the past 25 years, concerned about China’s rise. But Trump has been furious with India for buying Russian oil in defiance of sanctions since the war in Ukraine began. He has imposed a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods, which came into effect a few days ago.
The tariffs have strained US-India relations. In this situation, analysts believe that India’s interest in China-China rapprochement is one of the reasons why the United States is keeping a close eye on this year’s SCO summit. Modi will meet Xi Jinping in Tianjin tomorrow.
Reijs said that the United States will pay special attention to how India and China communicate at the SCO summit. Delhi and Beijing – the two neighbors – are trying to defuse tensions.
However, Kewalramani believes that it is not right to conclude that India-US relations have broken down despite the tension over tariffs.
Kewalramani said, “In many areas, countries with dominant economies have close relations. Therefore, the United States will not only keep an eye on India; it will also keep an eye on how Pakistan, Iran, and even Russia and China establish channels of communication between themselves on major geopolitical issues and trade at the SCO summit.”
Get real time update about this post category directly on your device, subscribe now.
