SCO summit: PM Modi to be in China after 7 years; Xi Jinping to host over 20 world leaders including Vladimir Putin

NEW DELHI: Chinese President Xi Jinping will host more than 20 world leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin next week, in what analysts describe as a show of Global South solidarity and diplomatic support for Russia. According to a Reuters report, the summit, scheduled for August 31 to September 1, will be attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and leaders from Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.The gathering will mark PM Modi’s first visit to China in over seven years as both countries continue efforts to ease tensions following deadly border clashes in 2020. PM Modi last shared the stage with Xi and Putin during the Brics summit in Kazan, Russia, even as Western leaders distanced themselves from the Russian president over the war in Ukraine.Russian officials in New Delhi said Moscow hopes trilateral talks involving India and China will take place soon."Xi will want to use the summit as an opportunity to showcase what a post-American-led international order begins to look like and that all White House efforts since January to counter China, Iran, Russia, and now India have not had the intended effect," said Eric Olander, editor-in-chief of The China-Global South Project. "Just look at how much Brics has rattled (US President) Donald Trump, which is precisely what these groups are designed to do."Chinese officials said this year’s summit will be the largest since the SCO’s founding in 2001, calling the bloc an "important force in building a new type of international relations." Initially set up by six Eurasian nations to focus on security, the SCO has since expanded to 10 permanent members and 16 dialogue and observer states, extending its agenda to economic and military cooperation.Analysts note, however, that the bloc’s outcomes have often been limited. "What is the precise vision that the SCO represents and its practical implementation are rather fuzzy. It is a platform that has increasing convening power, which helps in narrative projection," said Manoj Kewalramani of the Takshashila Institution in Bangalore. "But the SCO's effectiveness in addressing substantial security issues remains very limited."Frictions persist among members, especially India and Pakistan. The June SCO defence ministers’ meeting failed to adopt a joint statement after India objected to the omission of a reference to the April 22 terror attack on Hindu pilgrims in Kashmir. New Delhi also refused to endorse the bloc’s condemnation of Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year.Still, experts say geopolitical shifts are pushing India and China towards dialogue. The easing of border tensions and renewed tariff pressures on New Delhi from the Trump administration are fuelling expectations of a constructive meeting between Xi and PM Modi. "It's likely (New Delhi) will swallow their pride and put this year's SCO problems behind them in a bid to maintain momentum in the détente with China, which is a key Modi priority right now," Olander added.Foreign ministry official Tanmaya Lal said India’s priorities at the SCO include trade, connectivity, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. PM Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines, with possible announcements on troop withdrawals, trade facilitation, visa easing, climate cooperation, and people-to-people engagement.While substantive policy breakthroughs are unlikely, analysts believe the optics of the summit will be crucial. "This summit is about optics, really powerful optics," Olander said. PM Modi will leave China after the summit, while Putin is expected to stay for a World War Two military parade in Beijing, marking an unusually long foreign visit for the Russian leader.(With inputs from Reuters)