Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be among 20 world leaders attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin later this month, making it one of the largest gatherings in the bloc’s history.
The summit, scheduled for August 31-September 1, is expected to see Modi share the stage with Russian President Vladimir Putin and host President Xi Jinping. Chinese officials have described the meeting as “one of the most important head-of-state diplomacy and home-ground diplomacy events in China this year.”
Leaders from across Asia and beyond are confirmed to attend. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh are expected, along with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Nepal’s K P Sharma Oli and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu from South Asia.
The SCO, currently chaired by China, includes India, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus and China. The expanded “SCO Plus” format has also invited international organisations, with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev among those present.
Also read: China welcomes Modi’s planned visit to SCO summit
India’s participation comes as the grouping evolves from a regional security body into a platform addressing wider global governance and economic issues. The Tianjin summit will adopt a 10-year development strategy for the bloc and is expected to focus on cooperation in security, trade and cultural exchanges.
The gathering will be followed by China’s largest military parade in decades, scheduled for September 3 in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Beijing has indicated that new-generation weapons, including hypersonic missiles, unmanned systems and advanced aircraft, will be unveiled.
President Xi will chair the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO and the “SCO Plus” format. “In his keynote speeches, Xi will elaborate on China’s new vision and propositions for the SCO in carrying forward the Shanghai Spirit, shouldering the mission of the times, and responding to the people’s expectations,” Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin told reporters.
A joint declaration and commemorative statements on the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations will also be issued.
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