Key facts
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit is being held in Kyrgyzstan.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are attending.
- The SCO is presented as a counterweight to U.S. global influence.
- Russia and Iran are using the summit to strengthen ties with non-Western partners.
- China views the SCO as an alternative to Western-aligned organizations and aims to expand its scope.
- SCO members have significant disagreements and distinct interests.
Leaders from China, Russia, and India are among heads of state gathering in Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, an event framed as a counterweight to U.S. global influence.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to attend the summit in Bishkek. The agenda includes multiple one-on-one meetings, such as discussions between Putin and Xi, and Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
For Russia, currently involved in its invasion of Ukraine, and Iran, engaged in conflict with the U.S. and Israel, the summit serves as a crucial platform to bolster relations with non-Western nations. China has actively promoted the SCO as an alternative to Western-aligned groups like the G7, aiming to expand its scope and influence.
Founded in 2001, the SCO has grown to include 10 member nations: Russia, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, with many others holding dialogue partner status. Despite its growth, its goals and programs are often described as vague, and its brand recognition is low.
Analysts suggest that while the summit offers members an opportunity to demonstrate strong global ties amid strained relations with the West, the organization lacks unity as a political or military bloc, with members holding significant disagreements and pursuing distinct interests. For India, experts believe the summit is more about strategic signaling and optics than concrete outcomes, given its rivalry with China and Pakistan, both SCO members. Dinakar Peri of Carnegie India noted that the SCO provides India a platform to protect its interests and hedge its positions in a region of increasing great power competition.
Turkey, a dialogue partner since 2012, also utilizes the SCO to enhance its regional standing, viewing it as part of a balanced foreign policy that maintains ties with NATO while strengthening influence in Eurasia. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed a desire for Turkey to become a permanent member, despite its stalled EU membership bid.