Early deals mark opening day of SCO summit: Live Updates

The Chinese leader praised the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a guardrail of global stability

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed top leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin on Sunday.

More than 20 heads of state and representatives from ten international organizations are attending the gathering.

The summit, which wraps up on Monday, unfolds against the backdrop of rising global tensions – from the Ukraine conflict and Israel’s war in Gaza to escalating trade disputes sparked by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. The summit will address regional security, economic cooperation, and cultural ties, along with transport, energy, digitalization, AI, and green development.

On Tuesday, Putin will travel to Beijing for talks with Xi focused on trade, security, the Ukraine conflict, and ties with the US. The next day, he will take part in events marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. He is also expected to hold around ten bilateral meetings with leaders including India’s Narendra Modi, Türkiye’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian.