Putin, Modi Attend China Summit Hosted by Xi Amid Growing Regional Influence
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin aims to strengthen China's ties with Eurasian countries.
TIANJIN, China: President Xi Jinping convened the leaders of Russia and India along with dignitaries from around 20 Eurasian countries on Sunday for a high-profile summit aimed at positioning China as a central figure in regional diplomacy.
The meeting, hosted by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) until Monday in the northern port city of Tianjin, is taking place just before a significant military parade in Beijing to commemorate the end of World War II.
Security measures were tightened in Tianjin for the summit, which includes the SCO's founding members - China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus - as well as 16 affiliated observer or 'dialogue partner' countries.
The presence of over 20 leaders such as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan underscores China's growing sway and the SCO's appeal as a non-Western platform.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tianjin with a delegation comprising senior politicians and business executives.
He held individual meetings with several leaders, including those from the Maldives, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko - one of his key allies.
A meeting between Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also reported by Xinhua news agency.
The summit marks a pivotal moment as China and Russia seek to bolster the SCO's role in addressing contemporary challenges and threats, aiming to foster a more balanced global order.
In an interview with Xinhua, Putin emphasized that this gathering will enhance the organization's capacity to promote solidarity across the shared Eurasian space, contributing to a fairer multipolar world.
As tensions rise between China over Taiwan and Russia regarding Ukraine, both countries are leveraging platforms like the SCO to expand their influence.
Experts suggest that Beijing is eager to present the SCO as an alternative power bloc promoting a new kind of international relations based on sovereignty, non-interference, and multipolarity, which it claims offers a more democratic model.
The summit comes at a time when India faces trade tensions with the United States following its purchase of Russian oil.
Prime Minister Modi's visit to China marks his first since 2018, amid intense rivalry between the two nations that has included deadly border clashes but also signs of thawing relations, notably their meeting in October 2021.
The gathering in Tianjin reflects China's efforts to project influence by establishing its own set of international rules and institutions.
It also provides a platform for discussing critical issues such as the Ukraine conflict and Iran's nuclear program through meetings between leaders like Putin and Erdogan.
The meeting, hosted by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) until Monday in the northern port city of Tianjin, is taking place just before a significant military parade in Beijing to commemorate the end of World War II.
Security measures were tightened in Tianjin for the summit, which includes the SCO's founding members - China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus - as well as 16 affiliated observer or 'dialogue partner' countries.
The presence of over 20 leaders such as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan underscores China's growing sway and the SCO's appeal as a non-Western platform.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tianjin with a delegation comprising senior politicians and business executives.
He held individual meetings with several leaders, including those from the Maldives, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko - one of his key allies.
A meeting between Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also reported by Xinhua news agency.
The summit marks a pivotal moment as China and Russia seek to bolster the SCO's role in addressing contemporary challenges and threats, aiming to foster a more balanced global order.
In an interview with Xinhua, Putin emphasized that this gathering will enhance the organization's capacity to promote solidarity across the shared Eurasian space, contributing to a fairer multipolar world.
As tensions rise between China over Taiwan and Russia regarding Ukraine, both countries are leveraging platforms like the SCO to expand their influence.
Experts suggest that Beijing is eager to present the SCO as an alternative power bloc promoting a new kind of international relations based on sovereignty, non-interference, and multipolarity, which it claims offers a more democratic model.
The summit comes at a time when India faces trade tensions with the United States following its purchase of Russian oil.
Prime Minister Modi's visit to China marks his first since 2018, amid intense rivalry between the two nations that has included deadly border clashes but also signs of thawing relations, notably their meeting in October 2021.
The gathering in Tianjin reflects China's efforts to project influence by establishing its own set of international rules and institutions.
It also provides a platform for discussing critical issues such as the Ukraine conflict and Iran's nuclear program through meetings between leaders like Putin and Erdogan.
