Putin Meets Xi and Modi at SCO Summit Amid Calls for New Global Order

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss regional cooperation and global governance. The summit, attended by over 20 leaders, focused on strengthening ties among member states amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.

President Xi emphasized the need for a multipolar world order and called for rejecting "Cold War thinking" and power blocs. He proposed the creation of a development bank and a new international energy cooperation platform within the SCO framework. Xi also announced $1.4 billion in loans for SCO member states and suggested integrating China's BeiDou satellite navigation system as an alternative to the U.S.-controlled GPS.

During the summit, President Putin reiterated his stance that NATO's expansion and Ukraine's pro-Western aspirations provoked Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He met separately with Prime Minister Modi to discuss bilateral cooperation in economic, financial, and energy sectors, as well as regional and global issues, including developments concerning Ukraine. Modi emphasized the need to expedite a cessation of the conflict and find a durable peace settlement.

Prime Minister Modi also met with President Xi, affirming India's commitment to improving relations with China. The leaders discussed expanding trade, investment, and cooperation on global and regional issues, including terrorism and fair trade. Modi highlighted the need to reduce India's trade deficit with China and reiterated that India-China relations should not be influenced by external parties, especially under recent U.S. tariff pressures.

The SCO summit provided a platform for member states to strengthen regional cooperation and present a united front amid global geopolitical shifts. Leaders from across Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia attended the summit, which Beijing billed as a show of solidarity among the "Global South."