Tianjin, China — Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted leaders from across Eurasia, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, India’s Narendra Modi, and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit opened Sunday in Tianjin. The high-profile gathering, attended by representatives from more than two dozen countries, underscored Beijing’s ambition to position the SCO as a counterweight to Western-led alliances.
Xi personally welcomed visiting leaders at a formal reception, calling the SCO an “important force” for building new international relations at a time of growing global instability. The Chinese leader stressed that the bloc — founded in 2001 and now spanning 10 full members and 16 observer or dialogue partners — represented a shared vision of multilateralism and a “community with a shared future for mankind.”
Xi and Putin Reaffirm “No Limits” Partnership
Among the most closely watched meetings was a bilateral session between Xi and Putin, who share what both governments have branded a “no-limits partnership.” The Kremlin confirmed the talks included discussion of Putin’s recent meeting with Donald Trump, though details were not disclosed. Russian state media released footage of the two leaders warmly greeting each other before holding an extended private conversation with interpreters.
Analysts note the partnership has only deepened since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Beijing’s increasingly tense standoff with Washington over Taiwan. Experts say both governments, isolated from much of the West, view each other as indispensable partners in challenging U.S. influence.
India and China Signal Reset Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Prime Minister Modi’s presence was notable as his first visit to China in seven years. His meeting with Xi came days after Washington slapped 50% tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil.
“We are committed to progressing our relations based on mutual respect, trust and sensitivities,” Modi said after the talks. Chinese state media quoted Xi as saying ties between the two countries could be “stable and far-reaching” if both focused on partnership rather than rivalry.
The discussions also reflected efforts to ease long-standing border disputes and rebuild economic ties between Asia’s two most populous nations.
Erdoğan, Kim Jong-un Among Key Attendees
Xi also held bilateral meetings with Turkey’s Erdoğan, where both leaders pledged deeper cooperation on counterterrorism, and with other leaders including those of the Maldives, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus. North Korea’s Kim Jong-un is expected to join later this week for a military parade in Beijing marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, which China commemorates as its victory in the “War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.”
Beijing’s Push for Multipolarity
Putin told Chinese state media that the SCO summit would “consolidate solidarity” among member nations and help build a “fairer multipolar world order.”
Experts believe the summit’s timing plays into broader geopolitical shifts accelerated by U.S. tariff policies and confrontations with both Moscow and Beijing. Lim Chuan-Tiong, a Tokyo-based researcher, argued that China and Russia’s close coordination highlights their determination to present “a global order that exists beyond the United States.”
Still, observers note Beijing has hesitated to give Moscow unqualified support, wary of Western sanctions. “China says there is ‘no limit,’ but in practice it constantly calibrates its position, balancing its partnership with Russia against pressure from the West,” one Chinese academic told reporters.
A Symbolic Show of Strength
The Tianjin summit, the largest since the SCO’s creation, was staged under heavy security with major roads closed across the city. Leaders are expected to stay on for further events, including Beijing’s military parade on Wednesday.
For Beijing, the summit is not only about strengthening alliances but also about projecting an image of stability and leadership at a time when global power balances are shifting. For Russia, it represents a chance to show it still has powerful friends despite Western sanctions and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
