Chinese President Xi Jinping is preparing to host a significant gathering of world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. The summit, scheduled for August 31st and September 1st in Tianjin, is intended to showcase a model of regional cooperation distinct from Western frameworks. The summit is expected to be the largest in SCO history, with 20 leaders in attendance. Xi Jinping will chair the 25th meeting of the Council of Heads of State and will also organize bilateral programs and a welcome banquet for the participating leaders. Prime Minister Modi has been personally invited by Xi Jinping and is expected to hold bilateral meetings with other heads of state during the summit. India has been a member of the SCO since 2017 and chaired the council in 2022-23. The SCO includes China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, with 16 other countries as observers or dialogue partners. This event highlights China and Russia’s efforts to offer an alternative to Western-dominated alliances like NATO, particularly in Central Asia. India’s participation is also notable due to strained relations with the US, stemming from the imposition of import duties on Russian crude oil. In addition to Modi and Putin, other prominent leaders attending include Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Min Chinh, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, and Maldives President Mohammad Muizzu. Myanmar’s military chief Min Aung Hlaing will also be present. Officials from 10 international organizations, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev, will also participate.
