As the world’s attention turned to China this week, the port city of Tianjin became the epicenter of global diplomacy and power plays, hosting the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Monday, September 1, 2025. The summit, followed by a massive military parade in Beijing on Wednesday, drew more than two dozen world leaders, reflecting shifting alliances and the ambitions of a rising China amid turbulent international relations.
The SCO, founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, has since grown to include India, Iran, Pakistan, and Belarus, with Afghanistan and Mongolia as observer states and 14 more countries as dialogue partners. This year’s summit, the 25th in its history, was the largest to date, with China—holding the presidency—inviting 20 foreign leaders and 10 heads of international organizations, including United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The event was formally kicked off on Sunday night, August 31, with an opulent banquet hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, among others.
The guest list for the summit in Tianjin read like a who’s who of Eurasian and Asian politics. Notable attendees included Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Modi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly. Dialogue partner countries such as Laos, Malaysia, and Vietnam were also represented, highlighting China’s desire to strengthen regional ties. However, not everyone could make it; Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto canceled his trip due to protests at home, underscoring the domestic pressures that sometimes intrude on international stagecraft.
In his welcoming remarks, Xi Jinping emphasized the SCO’s growing responsibilities, stating, “The SCO bears greater responsibilities in safeguarding regional peace and stability and boosting the development of various countries in a world of increasing uncertainties and accelerated changes.” According to the Associated Press, Xi’s confidence was echoed by the summit’s ambitious agenda, which sought to address security, economic, and diplomatic challenges across a region home to nearly half the world’s population and a quarter of the global economy.
One of the summit’s most closely watched moments was the interaction between Modi and Putin. The two leaders, whose nations have maintained a "special and privileged" partnership for decades, met on the sidelines for discussions focused on regional stability, bilateral trade, and energy cooperation. As reported by the Associated Press, Modi called the partnership with Russia “special and privileged,” while Putin referred to Modi as a “dear friend” and described Russia-India ties as “special, friendly, and trusting.” The warmth between the leaders was palpable, with Modi and Putin sharing a hug and laughter before heading to their bilateral meeting.
The context for their camaraderie is complex. Just days before the summit, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports, bringing total duties to 50%, in retaliation for India’s continued purchase of discounted Russian oil. The move signaled deepening strains between Washington and New Delhi, as the U.S. has repeatedly warned India that buying Russian crude helps fund Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Despite the pressure, India has defended its imports as necessary to meet the growing energy needs of its 1.4 billion citizens. According to Indian government data, Russia now accounts for about 37% of India’s total oil imports, and trade between the two nations reached a record $68.7 billion in the 2024-25 financial year. India aspires to boost this figure to $100 billion by 2030.
Amid these economic and diplomatic crosswinds, Modi used the SCO platform to call for a united global fight against terrorism, a message delivered with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in attendance. He also welcomed initiatives aimed at halting the Russia-Ukraine conflict, urging all stakeholders to “move forward constructively” for peace. “To end the conflict soonest and establish peace permanently, we need to find out a way. It’s a call of the entire humanity,” Modi said, as quoted by the Associated Press.
Putin, for his part, used the summit to defend Russia’s actions in Ukraine, blaming the West for igniting the war. He told the gathering, “This crisis was not triggered by Russia’s attack on Ukraine, but was a result of a coup in Ukraine, which was supported and provoked by the West.” He accused NATO of destabilizing the region and insisted that “for the Ukrainian settlement to be sustainable and long-term, the root causes of the crisis must be addressed.” Putin also highlighted diplomatic efforts from Beijing and New Delhi, praising their proposals as potential pathways to resolving the conflict.
The summit’s guest list and subsequent military parade in Beijing offered further insight into China’s balancing act between ambition and pragmatism. While most high-level guests attended both events, some, like the leaders of India, Egypt, and Turkey, departed before the parade, which showcased more than 100 aircraft, tanks, and missiles—symbols of China’s growing military prowess. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, notably absent from the SCO summit, made his first visit to China in over six years to attend the parade, joining Xi and Putin in a striking display of unity. Also present were Myanmar’s military leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, and leaders from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe. From Europe, only Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico attended, underscoring the cautious approach of most Western nations toward China’s military posturing.
Throughout the summit, the underlying theme was the recalibration of global alliances. As the West remains frustrated with Russia’s war in Ukraine and wary of China’s growing influence, Beijing and Moscow have promoted the SCO as a counterweight to Western-led alliances. Putin argued that the world needs a “system that would replace outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models,” a sentiment echoed by many in attendance.
Yet, for all the talk of unity and shared purpose, the summit also highlighted the limitations and fault lines within the bloc. India and China, despite their economic and strategic ties, continue to grapple with border disputes and mutual suspicion. Modi, in his bilateral talks with Xi, reaffirmed that the two countries “were development partners and not rivals,” calling for a stable relationship based on mutual respect and cooperation. Still, the optics of the summit—warm embraces, animated conversations, and carefully choreographed group photos—could not entirely mask the underlying complexities.
As the SCO summit and military parade concluded, it was clear that China had succeeded, at least for the moment, in projecting itself as a central hub for global diplomacy and regional security. Whether this display of unity and ambition translates into lasting influence remains to be seen, but for a few days in Tianjin and Beijing, the world’s gaze was firmly fixed on China’s evolving role on the international stage.