China showcases alternative world order at Tianjin gathering

Sunday 31 August 2025 - 08:30

By: Sahili Aya

China showcases alternative world order at Tianjin gathering

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin and other key Eurasian leaders on Sunday as China hosts a major summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The gathering, held in Tianjin, is being presented as a showcase of a new international order led by China, at a time of trade disputes with the United States and mounting geopolitical tensions.

The summit, the first since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, has attracted leaders from 20 countries and representatives of international organizations. The SCO, which includes ten full members and sixteen observer or partner states, represents nearly half of the world’s population and over 23% of global GDP.

Putin arrived in Tianjin on Sunday morning at the head of a large political and economic delegation, according to Russian and Chinese state media. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, visiting China for the first time since 2018, landed on Saturday and met with Xi Jinping, signaling a thaw in relations between the two Asian powers.

Security has been reinforced across the city, with armored vehicles stationed in the streets and major traffic restrictions in place. Posters in Mandarin and Russian highlighting “mutual trust” and the “spirit of Tianjin” have been plastered across the city.

Analysts say the summit is less about concrete agreements than about symbolism. “This meeting illustrates China’s vision of a multilateral order distinct from Western-led frameworks,” noted Dylan Loh of Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.

The agenda includes discussions on the war in Ukraine, the Iranian nuclear issue, and regional economic cooperation. Xi and Putin are expected to hold bilateral talks in Beijing on Tuesday. On Monday, Putin is scheduled to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian, while also holding talks with Modi.

The summit also sets the stage for a large military parade in Beijing on Wednesday, commemorating 80 years since the end of World War II in Asia. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to attend, underscoring his regime’s alignment with both Moscow and Beijing.

While Ukraine and its allies accuse China of backing Russia, Beijing insists on its neutrality, blaming Western nations for prolonging the war by supplying arms to Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Modi to push for a ceasefire during the SCO talks.