China is set to host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, starting Sunday, where President Xi Jinping will welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other leaders. This summit is seen as a display of solidarity against the trade actions taken by the United States towards China and India. Despite this context, sources have confirmed that there will be no trilateral meeting between Modi, Putin, and Jinping.
Prime Minister Modi arrived in China on Saturday, receiving a formal welcome. This visit is his first to China since 2018 and is viewed as an effort to improve relations after the border clashes in the Galwan Valley in 2020.
SCO Summit and Trump’s Trade Policies
The regional security group SCO’s summit takes place during a time of trade tensions initiated by former US President Donald Trump. India is facing a 50% tariff. Russia is subject to sanctions, while China faces potential 200% tariffs. Trump warned of these tariffs if Beijing restricted the export of rare-earth magnets.
In response, the SCO has become a platform for Jinping, Putin, and India to promote a multipolar world order, which the US has often opposed.
Chinese officials are presenting the summit as the most significant SCO summit to date. Xi Jinping aims to showcase China as a stable and influential nation, especially as the United States’s influence on global alliances is unstable.
Modi, Putin, and Jinping to Share the Platform
The summit also gives Putin an opportunity to meet with China and India, major buyers of Russian oil. Trump has imposed a 25% additional tariff on India for purchasing Russian energy and defense products, while China has not been penalized. Prime Minister Modi has resisted pressure from the Trump administration to cease buying Russian oil, which the US believes has aided Putin’s “war machine” in Ukraine.
Prior to his trip to China, Putin highlighted the relationship with Beijing as a “stabilizing force.” He told Xinhua News Agency that Russia and China share a common view on constructing a just, multipolar world order.
Who is Attending the SCO Summit 2025?
The SCO, including China, Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, manages a substantial portion of the world’s energy resources, representing approximately 40% of the global population.
The summit will host leaders from various countries, including India and Pakistan, despite their existing political disputes. The prime ministers of both countries will attend, marking their first encounter since the Pulwama terrorist attack and India’s Operation Vajra.
Prime Minister Modi did not participate in the summit in Kazakhstan last year. However, he will attend the Tianjin summit, which takes place amid concerns regarding New Delhi-Washington relations following Trump’s actions, including the imposition of tariffs and closer ties with Pakistan.
Chinese officials have confirmed 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. Additionally, Beijing has invited Southeast Asian leaders, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres may also be present.
Though Modi, Putin, and Jinping will be present, the US will not be. However, it is expected that Trump’s policies will be discussed.