Putin Joins Global Leaders at SCO Summit in Tianjin

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to arrive in Tianjin, China, on August 31, 2023, to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. This gathering will include around 20 world leaders, hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The summit is scheduled to continue until September 1, just days before a significant military parade in Beijing commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The SCO, which comprises member states including China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, serves as a platform for discussing various geopolitical issues. Additionally, it includes 16 countries affiliated as observers or dialogue partners. Both China and Russia have emphasized the SCO as an alternative to the NATO military alliance, aiming to establish greater influence in global affairs.

Strengthening Multilateral Relations

In a recent interview with China’s Xinhua news agency, Putin articulated the significance of the upcoming summit. He stated that it will “strengthen the SCO’s capacity to respond to contemporary challenges and threats, and consolidate solidarity across the shared Eurasian space.” Putin further mentioned that these efforts aim to “help shape a fairer multipolar world order.”

Tensions involving China’s claims over Taiwan and Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine have heightened their rivalry with the United States and Europe. Experts suggest that both Beijing and Moscow are keen to leverage platforms like the SCO to enhance their global influence. Dylan Loh, an assistant professor at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, noted that China seeks to position the SCO as a non-Western-led power bloc that advocates for a new type of international relations, which it claims to be more democratic.

The summit marks the largest gathering of SCO leaders since its establishment in 2001, with participation from over 20 leaders, including the Presidents of Iran and Turkey, Masoud Pezeshkian and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, respectively. Loh remarked that the extensive attendance underscores China’s rising influence and the SCO’s attractiveness as a forum for non-Western nations.

Bilateral Meetings and Strategic Discussions

In addition to the plenary sessions, bilateral meetings are scheduled to take place. On September 1, Putin is expected to engage in discussions with Erdogan regarding the Ukraine conflict and with Pezeshkian about Iran’s nuclear program. Lim Tai Wei, a professor and East Asia expert at Japan’s Soka University, emphasized that Russia is keen to leverage SCO membership for greater global stature, particularly seeking the backing of the world’s second-largest economy, China.

The summit comes on the heels of India experiencing a sharp increase in U.S. tariffs on its goods, a measure taken in response to New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tianjin on the evening of August 31, marking his first visit to China since 2018. The relationship between India and China remains complex, especially after a deadly border clash in 2020. However, a thaw in relations began last October when Modi and Xi met for the first time in five years during a summit in Russia.

While Modi is attending the SCO summit, he was notably absent from a list of leaders invited to the Beijing military parade, which includes figures such as Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto, Myanmar’s junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un.

As the summit unfolds, discussions will likely focus on the evolving geopolitical landscape and the role of the SCO in shaping a multipolar world order.