China to Host the Largest Ever SCO Summit in Tianjin

Beijing: China will host the 5th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, on August 31 and September 1. According to Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Bin, it will be the largest summit in the history of the SCO.

According to reports, 20 world leaders will participate, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

In addition to these leaders, officials from ten international organisations will participate, including United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev. The leaders are meeting to deepen multilateral cooperation on a variety of critical issues facing the region and the world.

One of the main goals of the summit is to strengthen regional security by addressing threats such as terrorism and promoting military and intelligence cooperation through the SCO’s established mechanisms, like the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS).

Economic collaboration is another key focus, with discussions expected around expanding trade, energy partnerships, and infrastructure development. The summit also provides a platform to align efforts with China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aiming to boost connectivity and supply chains across Eurasia.

Given the global challenges of food and energy insecurity, as well as the growing impacts of climate change, the summit will also emphasize the importance of sustainable cooperation in energy production and food supply. Environmental issues, including disaster resilience and climate adaptation strategies, are expected to be high on the agenda as member states face increasing natural disasters and weather extremes.

As global power dynamics shift toward a more multi-polar world, the SCO seeks to position itself as a major player in balancing global influences. Vice Foreign Minister Liu Bin pointed out that the summit aims to consolidate unity and mutual trust among member states while promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.