Xi Hosts Record SCO Summit with Putin, Modi amid Global Power Shift

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tianjin, China, for a four-day visit to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, which is the largest gathering of its kind since the bloc's formation in 2001. Chinese President Xi Jinping is hosting around 20 world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who emphasized advancing bilateral ties based on mutual trust. The SCO, expanded to 10 members including China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus, seeks to present itself as a non-Western-led power bloc promoting a new international relations model, countering Western influence and NATO. The summit serves as a platform for China and Russia to project an alternative to the U.S.-led global order, with Putin criticizing Western sanctions and highlighting cooperation with China on economic and military fronts. Turkish President Erdogan, attending as the only NATO leader, aims to act as a bridge between Russia and the West amid ongoing conflicts. The summit underscores the bloc's growing geopolitical significance amid global tensions and aims to rally developing nations behind alternative power centers.