Xi Expands Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Global Reach/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Chinese President Xi Jinping called for expanding the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) global role at the Tianjin summit, unveiling plans for a development bank and energy cooperation. Xi was joined by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The summit emphasized alternatives to U.S.-led global governance.
China’s SCO Strategy Quick Looks
- Xi Jinping urges multipolar world order through SCO expansion
- Announces SCO development bank, $1.4B in loans, energy platform
- Russia, India, Iran, and Central Asian nations join summit
- Laos joins SCO as a dialogue partner, bringing total to 27 countries
- Xi criticizes U.S.-led global structure, promotes China’s BeiDou system
- Putin backs SCO as foundation for new global governance
- Xi and Modi agree to address long-standing border dispute
- Putin updates Xi on Russia-U.S. Ukraine talks ahead of military parade
- SCO’s security focus includes controversial counterterrorism efforts
- U.S. seen as weakening in influence as China rises diplomatically
Deep Look
At Tianjin Summit, China’s Xi Pushes SCO as Global Power Alternative
TIANJIN, China — In a pointed challenge to U.S. global dominance, Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled major new initiatives at the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), aiming to position the group as a key pillar of an emerging multipolar world order.
The summit, held in Tianjin, brought together major regional leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Xi’s keynote announcements included plans to establish a SCO-led development bank, a cooperative platform for energy and green industries, and a $1.4 billion loan package over the next three years to support member states.
The proposed bank would mark a major shift in the SCO’s focus from primarily regional security to global development. Xi also opened access to China’s BeiDou satellite system — an alternative to the U.S.-controlled GPS — to member countries, reinforcing China’s intention to lead on infrastructure and technology.
A Platform for Global Alternatives
“The world has entered a new period of tumultuous change,” Xi declared. “Global governance has arrived at a new crossroads.”
Xi reiterated his long-standing criticism of “Cold War mentality,” referring to what Beijing views as the United States’ confrontational stance toward China and its allies. He called for countries to “reject rival power blocs and bullying,” positioning the SCO as a peaceful, cooperative alternative to Western alliances.
In total, the SCO now includes 10 full member states — China, Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus — along with observer states Afghanistan and Mongolia. The inclusion of Laos as a dialogue partner brings the total number of members and partners to 27.
Putin’s Full Support for Xi’s Vision
Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his full endorsement to Xi’s proposal, stating that the SCO “could take on the leading role in efforts to form a more just and equal system of global governance.”
Speaking ahead of bilateral talks with Xi, Putin reaffirmed Russia’s position against Western-led economic sanctions. In a weekend interview with China’s Xinhua news agency, he denounced “discriminatory sanctions” and urged reform of global financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
“It is essential to end the use of finance as an instrument of neocolonialism,” Putin said, aligning with Xi’s vision of an alternative world order favoring the “global majority.”
Regional Diplomacy on Display
Ahead of the summit, Xi and Modi held a rare bilateral meeting where both pledged to resolve long-standing border tensions that have frozen relations since 2020. While Putin will stay in China for an upcoming military parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender, Modi will not attend.
Also expected at the parade are North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing — two controversial figures who illustrate China’s willingness to work outside traditional Western diplomatic channels.
Putin reportedly briefed Xi on recent Russia-U.S. talks over the Ukraine conflict held in Alaska, signaling deeper coordination between Moscow and Beijing on geopolitical flashpoints.
Security Roots Remain
While Xi promoted the SCO’s developmental ambitions, the organization’s roots in security cooperation remain evident. China emphasized the SCO’s role in combating terrorism, separatism, and extremism — though critics argue these efforts have often been used to justify authoritarian crackdowns.
In particular, Beijing has pointed to these threats to rationalize its sweeping detention of more than 1 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang since 2018. Critics, such as Derek Grossman of USC, say SCO security drills often serve “to counter threats to authoritarian regimes rather than terrorism in its own right.”
Is the SCO Ready for a Global Role?
Founded in 2001 as a regional security forum, the SCO has grown in size and ambition. Yet experts caution that it still lacks the cohesion and structure needed to rival NATO or other global alliances.
Still, Xi’s strategic messaging is clear: As the U.S. struggles with domestic polarization and international fatigue, China is seizing the moment to assert leadership — diplomatically, economically, and militarily.
“China is on a diplomatic uptick and the U.S. is self-destructing,” said Grossman. While the SCO may not yet have the mechanisms to lead a new world order, it’s becoming the cornerstone of China’s attempt to build one.
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