Leaders of the East gathered over the weekend at the 2025 Tianjin SCO Summit.
The SCO, or Shanghai Cooperation Organization, is a group of ten member states – Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan – with the shared goals of instilling peace and security in the region, maintaining good relationships and strengthening cooperation in various industries among the member states, and “promot[ing] a new democratic, fair and rational international political and economic international order.”
This year’s annual summit was held in Tianjin, a northern Chinese city a little ways outside of Beijing alongside the Bohai Sea. In addition to the leaders of the 10 SCO member states, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as well as several of the leaders of the SCO’s 14 dialogue partners were set to be in attendance.
Summit outcomes –
One of the most impactful consequences of the summit appears to be a significantly stronger relationship between China, Russia, and India, one many experts believe to be a direct product of Washington’s recent actions.
America’s turbulent relationship with China, the failed pushes to get Russia to end the war in Ukraine, and the heavy tariffs levied on India all seem to have set the stage for the formation of an ever-stronger alliance between the three Eastern nations on the receiving end of U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts.
Prior to attending talks at the summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin spent almost an hour in a private discussion in the Russian leader’s limo mere days after the doubling of U.S. tariffs on India to 50% in retribution for India’s ongoing purchase of Russian oil. Coming out of their meeting, Modi remarked “that meeting [Putin is always] a memorable experience” and Putin referred to Modi as a “dear friend,” promoting the “friendly and trusting” relationship between the two nations.
On the other hand, Chinese President Xi Jinping also sought to strengthen ties with India, as leaders of both nations sought to strengthen bilateral relations and mitigate concerns surrounding India and China’s ongoing border dispute. The meeting – Modi and Xi’s first meeting on Chinese soil since 2018 – marks a growing trend of healthier relationships between China and India, as both nations have explored easing trade and border regulations and have increased official visits this year.
Outside of the growing India-China-Russia relationship, the SCO summit also provided a powerful platform to highlight the global prevalence of artificial intelligence with the Tianjin Declaration of the SCO Council highlighting the “equal rights of all countries to develop and use AI.” In addition, SCO members pledged to foster greater cooperation on efforts to bolster AI accountability and security, mitigate risks, and pursue “joint AI cooperation and development,” according to CNBC.
One of the most notable efforts explored during the summit was the creation of an SCO development bank, which would, according to CNBC, further the organization’s goal to promote “an alternative payment system that reduces reliance on the U.S. dollar.” In addition to tremendous efforts to develop this bank, the summit also saw China promising $280 million USD in free aid to member states this year and $1.4 billion USD in loans in the next three years, as well as Xi proposing a “cooperation platform for green and energy industries,” according to AP News.
Conclusion –
Overall, the 2025 Tianjin SCO Summit represented a strengthening of power in the East, particularly amongst China, India, and Russia.. From a historical lens, the summit appears to highlight a potential adjustment of power towards the East after centuries of Western hegemony, hinting at the change for an unprecedented shift in the world order.
As concerns over China’s role as a global superpower rise, tensions with Russia continue to grow, and India proves to be more and more involved on the global stage, it’s clear that whatever happens next, there’s a whole new set of players taking the stage of this life-sized game of Risk. But as alliances continue to be formed and reformed, and agendas continue to change and twist, only time will tell who comes out on top.
