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Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to the port city of Tianjin on Saturday ahead of what promises to be one of the year's most significant diplomatic gatherings, as world leaders prepare to address mounting global crises.
The 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, beginning Sunday, will bring together over 20 heads of state and government alongside leaders from 10 international organizations at a time when geopolitical tensions are escalating across multiple fronts, including Israel's war on Gaza, the ongoing Ukraine crisis, and rising trade disputes.
As the rotating chair of the 10-member political and security alliance, Xi will preside over the two-day summit, marking China's fifth time hosting the annual SCO gathering.
The agenda centers on promoting what the organization calls the "Shanghai Spirit" while strengthening cooperation across security, economic and cultural spheres.
Among the high-profile attendees will be Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masood Pezeshkian and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Xi is scheduled to meet separately with Erdogan on the summit's sidelines.
The Kremlin announced Friday that Putin will use the summit to discuss the Ukraine conflict with Erdogan, highlighting Türkiye's unique position in diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.
"Türkiye plays an important role in the Ukraine resolution process," Kremlin foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov told reporters during a briefing ahead of Putin's visit.
The summit comes as recent diplomatic developments have renewed speculation about potential peace talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently indicated a willingness to meet Putin in Türkiye, Switzerland, or Austria, while the Turkish vice president suggested such a meeting could take place in Istanbul.
Expected outcomes from the summit include the signing of the Tianjin Declaration and approval of a strategic framework for the next decade.
Leaders will also issue statements commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the United Nations' founding.
The SCO, established in 2001, has emerged as a counterweight to Western-led international organizations. Its members—China, Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus—collectively represent about 40% of the world's population and control roughly 30% of global gross domestic product (GDP) across 65% of the Eurasian continent.
The organization has expanded significantly from its origins as the "Shanghai Five" border security group in 1996, adding India and Pakistan in 2017, Iran in 2021, and most recently Belarus this year.
Türkiye participates as a dialogue partner alongside 13 other nations.
Following the SCO summit, Xi will host Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a military parade on Sept. 3 to commemorate the World War II anniversary, further demonstrating the deepening ties among nations seeking alternatives to Western-led institutions.
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