Chinese President Xi Jinping will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, starting on Sunday. This summit is viewed as a unified response to trade tariffs imposed by the United States on China and India, although there will be no trilateral meeting between the leaders.
Prime Minister Modi arrived in China on Saturday and received a formal welcome. His visit is his first since 2018 and is viewed as a step toward mending relations that were strained after the Galwan Valley clashes in 2020.
SCO Summit During Trump’s Tariff Era
The SCO summit is happening during a period of trade tensions, especially due to tariffs imposed by former US President Donald Trump. India is facing a 50% tariff. Russia is under sanctions, and China is threatened with potential 200% tariffs. These tariffs are due to Trump’s policies on trade.
In this environment, the SCO has become a platform for Jinping, Putin, and India to pursue a multipolar world order, which the US has resisted.
Chinese officials are emphasizing that this is the most significant SCO summit to date. Xi Jinping aims to show China as a stable and strong option in a world where US alliances are shifting.
Modi, Putin, and Jinping to Share Stage
The summit provides an opportunity for Putin to interact with China and India, major buyers of Russian oil. Trump imposed a 25% additional tariff on India for buying Russian energy and defense products, while China has not been subject to similar charges. Prime Minister Modi has resisted US pressure to stop buying Russian oil, a move that the US claims benefits Putin’s “war machine” in Ukraine.
Before the China visit, Putin praised the relationship with Beijing, calling it a “stabilizing force” in the world. He stated to Xinhua News Agency that Russia and China share a vision of “building a just, multipolar world order.”
Who Will Attend the SCO Summit 2025?
The SCO includes China, Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, controlling a significant portion of global energy resources and representing about 40% of the world’s population.
The summit will include leaders from India and Pakistan, despite their political disagreements. The prime ministers of both countries will attend, which will be their first meeting since the Pulwama terrorist attack and India’s Operation Vajra.
Prime Minister Modi did not attend last year’s summit in Kazakhstan. However, he will participate in the Tianjin summit, which is taking place at a time when relations between New Delhi and Washington have become strained because of Trump’s actions, including the tariffs and the US’s growing relationship with Pakistan.
Chinese officials have stated that delegations from 16 SCO partner and observer countries will attend the summit. These include Cambodia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Turkey. Beijing has invited Southeast Asian leaders, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres is expected to attend.
While Modi, Putin, and Jinping will be present, the United States will not be represented at the summit. However, it is expected that the policies of Trump will be a topic of discussion.