August 31, 2025
China’s SCO summit a reflection of Global South cooperation
World leaders are convening in northern China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit on Sunday and Monday, where Beijing is seeking to strengthen its regional cooperation as tensions with the United States continue over trade and security issues.
The 10-member bloc is meeting for a two-day summit in Tianjin.
The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, with 16 more countries affiliated as observers or “dialogue partners”.
China’s Xinhua news agency described it as the “largest-ever SCO summit.” Beijing sees the forum as an alternative to the Western-led global order
Founded in 2001, the SCO has become a forum for economic and security cooperation, with Beijing and Moscow as the primary pillars.
Over the years, China has pushed its economic weight, while Russia used the forum to maintain ties with Central Asia.
Russia’s war in Ukraine has deepened Moscow’s reliance on the bloc.
The summit also provides a platform for India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to neighbor China for the first time in seven years.
Recent strained ties with Washington, and reeling under US President Donald Trump’s tariffs, has brought New Delhi and Beijing closer.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged support for multilateralism, calling China a “fundamental pillar” of the system.
Read more on the SCO summit from DW here.
