US trade war, India-China ties loom large at SCO summit in Tianjin | Politics News

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 20 years from Central Asian considerations to international issues.

Extra considerably, the SCO has change 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 outdoors “the US-led worldwide system”, Olander instructed Al Jazeera.

Whereas the summit in Tianjin is basically symbolic, it’s a useful probability to carry collectively global leaders and bureaucrats in a discussion board the place they will share “frequent grievances”, Olander mentioned.

With the gathering set to be overshadowed by United States President Donald Trump’s commerce warfare in opposition to a lot of the world – together with many conventional allies of Washington – attendees are more likely to have much more frequent floor.

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

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

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

“Beneath the joyful household picture is a number of wanting over shoulders,” he mentioned.

‘Swing states’

The SCO has expanded its membership lately 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 may also 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-Normal Kao Kim Hourn.

Observers might be intently 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, nevertheless it was hit this week by Trump’s 50 p.c 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 warfare on Ukraine.

However the shared risk 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 warfare 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 secret’s 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 instructed Al Jazeera.

Even refined modifications in language by Beijing carry necessary diplomatic alerts, he mentioned.

The SCO summit may also 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 warfare.

Analysts might be listening for related 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 position in propping up Russia’s financial system since then.

This can be a level of rivalry for New Delhi, as China has completed way more to assist Russia economically because the warfare began, however has not confronted related 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 certainly end result of the SCO might be a joint assertion from all attendees.

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

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

“What I might anticipate is to have a press release which is a really non-controversial one, so as to get everyone on board,” he mentioned.

“Safety and stability, feedback about bettering financial cooperation, and a few feedback concerning 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 building, prematurely of a army parade marking the eightieth anniversary of the top of World Conflict II, in Beijing, China, on August 20, 2025 [Florence Lo/Reuters]

Following the summit, friends could have a full day in China earlier than travelling to Beijing for a large army parade on September 3 marking 80 years because the finish of World Conflict II in Asia.

That additional day – September 2 – might 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, corresponding to his overseas minister.

The Mercator Institute’s Soong mentioned the expansive visitor listing 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 good friend circle – who may be China’s good friend and who’s keen to endorse China’s narrative,” he mentioned.