Tianjin to Host SCO Summit 2025: Xi Jinping to Welcome Global Leaders

The city of Tianjin, China, will be the venue for the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, bringing together key world leaders. President Xi Jinping will preside over the summit, aiming to demonstrate a vision of regional collaboration that differs from Western models. The event, scheduled for August 31 to September 1, will be a landmark gathering for the SCO, with the participation of 20 world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the summit, Xi Jinping will chair the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State. Bilateral meetings and a welcome banquet are also planned for the attending leaders. Prime Minister Modi, invited by Xi Jinping, is expected to engage in discussions with other heads of state. India, a member since 2017 and chair in 2022-23, will be an active participant. The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, along with observer and dialogue partner nations. The summit underscores the growing strategic importance of the SCO, as China and Russia seek to strengthen ties with Central Asian countries. India’s presence is also significant given shifts in international relations. The summit will see the attendance of various leaders, including Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran, Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia, Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia, Pham Min Chinh of Vietnam, Shahbaz Sharif of Pakistan, KP Sharma Oli of Nepal, and Mohammad Muizzu of the Maldives. Myanmar’s military chief, Min Aung Hlaing, will also be present. The event will be attended by officials from international organizations, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev.