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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are among the many greater than 20 world leaders attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, which is now the world’s largest regional grouping by inhabitants.

The Beijing-backed bloc will convene on Sunday and Monday within the northern Chinese language metropolis of Tianjin, bringing collectively a various vary of energy brokers from throughout Asia, Europe and the Center East.

Based by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in 2001, the summit has shifted focus over the previous twenty years from Central Asian issues to international issues.

Extra considerably, the SCO has develop into a vital a part of China’s “parallel worldwide governance structure”, mentioned Eric Olander, editor-in-chief of the China-World South Mission.

As Beijing assumes the mantle of the world’s second-largest superpower, the SCO has created areas for dialogue and cooperation exterior “the US-led worldwide system”, Olander informed Al Jazeera.

Whereas the summit in Tianjin is essentially symbolic, it’s a worthwhile likelihood to carry collectively international leaders and bureaucrats in a discussion board the place they will share “widespread grievances”, Olander mentioned.

With the gathering set to be overshadowed by United States President Donald Trump’s commerce struggle towards a lot of the world – together with many conventional allies of Washington – attendees are prone to have much more widespread floor.

Company vary from Putin, who is needed for struggle crimes by the Worldwide Prison Court docket, to Belarus’s authoritarian chief Alexander Lukashenko and the likes of United Nations Secretary-Common Antonio Guterres.

Lots of the attendees even have longrunning rivalries and border disputes, reminiscent of India with Pakistan, India with China, Saudi Arabia with Iran, and Central Asia with each China and Russia.

“There are complicated dynamics at play right here,” Olander mentioned.

“Beneath the blissful household picture is quite a lot of wanting over shoulders,” he mentioned.

‘Swing states’

The SCO has expanded its membership in recent times to incorporate such political heavyweights as India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus as full members, with Afghanistan and Mongolia becoming a member of as observers.

Official “dialogue companions” have additionally grown to 14 nations, together with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Qatar, Cambodia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

The summit can even notably characteristic Southeast Asia, a area that Olander likened to the “swing states” within the nice energy competitors between the US and China.

5 heads of state will attend from the area, together with Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim and Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto, in addition to ASEAN Secretary-Common Kao Kim Hourn.

Observers can be carefully watching the dynamics between Chinese language President Xi Jinping and India’s Modi, who haven’t met in seven years, mentioned Claus Soong, an analyst at Germany’s Mercator Institute for China Research who specialises in China’s international technique.

India has historically been an ally of Washington, however it was hit this week by Trump’s 50 % tariffs as punishment for its ongoing buy of Russian oil.

The White Home says India’s commerce helps to maintain Russia’s financial system afloat regardless of worldwide sanctions, and with it, Russia’s struggle on Ukraine.

However the shared menace of US tariffs has helped enhance relations between New Delhi and Beijing, which had plummeted in 2020 over a lethal skirmish between border forces within the Himalayas.

The 2 sides reached a deal on their distant frontier in 2024, however their relationship has remained frosty.

Analysts say China sees Trump’s commerce struggle as an opportunity to ease India away from US-led political and army blocs such because the QUAD, a strategic safety discussion board that features Japan and Australia along with India and the US.

“The bottom line is to take a look at how China [characterises] its relationship with India after the go to and the way the connection improves between China and India,” Soong informed Al Jazeera.

Even delicate modifications in language by Beijing carry vital diplomatic indicators, he mentioned.

The SCO summit can even mark the primary assembly between Putin and Xi because the Russian chief met with President Trump in Alaska earlier this month to debate the Ukraine struggle.

Analysts can be listening for comparable modifications in language for the way the 2 leaders describe the China-Russia relationship.

In 2022, simply weeks earlier than Moscow invaded Ukraine, China and Russia signed a “no limits partnership”, and Xi has performed an important function in propping up Russia’s financial system since then.

It is a level of rivalry for New Delhi, as China has accomplished way more to help Russia economically because the struggle began, however has not confronted comparable sanctions from Trump.

With so many dynamics at play behind the scenes, Daniel Balazs, a analysis fellow on the China Programme at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam Faculty of Worldwide Research, mentioned the most definitely end result of the SCO can be a joint assertion from all attendees.

China and Russia are anticipated to push speaking factors reminiscent of their opposition to “unilateralism” – a coded reference to the US – however many of the language can be watered all the way down to make it palatable to all.

“The symbolism of truly reaching a joint assertion is extra vital than the content material of the assertion itself,” Balazs mentioned.

“What I’d count on is to have an announcement which is a really non-controversial one, with the intention to get everyone on board,” he mentioned.

“Safety and stability, feedback about bettering financial cooperation, and a few feedback in regards to the significance of multilateralism,” Balazs mentioned.

Law enforcement officials stand guard in entrance of the Tiananmen Gate, in an space briefly closed to guests on account of development, upfront of a army parade marking the eightieth anniversary of the top of World Warfare II, in Beijing, China, on August 20, 2025 [Florence Lo/Reuters]

Following the summit, visitors may have a full day in China earlier than travelling to Beijing for an enormous army parade on September 3 marking 80 years because the finish of World Warfare II in Asia.

That further day – September 2 – can be prime time for bilateral conferences, the China-World South Mission’s Olander mentioned.

“Who will meet who on the second of September – that’s one thing to concentrate to,” he mentioned.

Extra heads of state are on account of attend the parade the following day, with additions mentioned to incorporate North Korean chief Kim Jong Un, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico.

India’s Modi will not be anticipated to remain for the parade, though analysts say he could ship a consultant, reminiscent of his overseas minister.

The Mercator Institute’s Soong mentioned the expansive visitor record for the summit and the army parade will give Beijing a lift to its public picture, particularly among the many World South.

“That is how China demonstrates its pal circle – who might be China’s pal and who’s keen to endorse China’s narrative,” he mentioned.