Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in Tianjin on Sunday for a two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which is being hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The event will bring together leaders from approximately 20 nations, including India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, and Central Asian states, marking it the largest meeting of the bloc since its founding in 2001.
The summit is taking place just days before China holds a military parade in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Putin Backs “Multipolar” World Order
In an interview with China’s Xinhua news agency, Putin stated that the summit would “strengthen the SCO’s capacity to respond to contemporary challenges and threats” and promote “a fairer multipolar world order.”
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The SCO, which includes China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, and several Central Asian states, is frequently viewed as a counterweight to NATO and other Western-led alliances.
China, Russia Push Alternative Bloc
Analysts suggest that the meeting underscores Beijing’s and Moscow’s efforts to expand their influence amid strained relations with the U.S. and Europe. Dylan Loh from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University described the SCO as “a Chinese-inflected multilateral order,” noting that “China has long sought to present the SCO as a non-Western-led power bloc.”
More than 20 heads of state are attending, including Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian, a presence that observers believe highlights Beijing’s increasing global clout.
Sidelines Diplomacy
On Saturday, Xi met with Egypt’s Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly and Cambodia’s Hun Manet, with further bilateral discussions expected. Putin is scheduled to meet with Erdogan and Pezeshkian on Monday to discuss issues such as the situation in Ukraine and Iran’s nuclear program.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi also arrived in Tianjin on Saturday for his first visit to China since 2018. The trip occurs amid trade tensions with the U.S. and a cautious warming of relations with Beijing following a 2020 border clash.
