SCO Summit 2025 Tianjin (China), September 1, 2025 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday joined world leaders at the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China. At the high-profile event hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, leaders of the 10-member grouping came together to chart the future of the organisation amid growing global uncertainties.
The day-long plenary session began with Xi Jinping extending a warm welcome to the delegates, including Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The summit comes after a grand banquet hosted by Xi Jinping on Sunday night, which formally kicked off the landmark event.
Highlights of SCO Summit 2025 in Tianjin
- 25th SCO Summit hosted by China in Tianjin.
- Attended by PM Narendra Modi, President Xi Jinping, President Vladimir Putin, and other global leaders.
- Largest-ever SCO gathering with 20 foreign leaders and 10 heads of international organisations.
- Focus on regional peace, economic cooperation, and future vision of the organisation.
- SCO now represents half the world’s population and one-quarter of global GDP.
SCO Summit 2025: A Conclave of Global Influence
This year’s SCO summit 2025 is being touted as the biggest ever summit in the organisation’s history. Besides the heads of member states, China also invited 20 foreign leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and heads of 10 international organisations under the SCO Plus format.
Founded in Shanghai in 2001, the SCO has grown from six founding members to a family of 26 countries, including 10 full members, two observer countries and 14 dialogue partners spread across Asia, Europe and Africa. Today, the SCO represents nearly half the world’s population and nearly one-quarter of the global economy, making it a major geopolitical and economic alliance.
Closely watched Modi’s speech
Prime Minister Modi’s address at the summit is expected to draw a lot of attention, especially in the backdrop of global trade disputes, changing power equations and his bilateral meeting with Xi Jinping on Sunday. Analysts suggest Modi’s intervention could highlight India’s vision for regional stability, economic cooperation and strong multilateralism within the SCO framework.
Xi Jinping’s Vision for the Future
In his opening speech, President Xi emphasised the important role of the SCO in a period of “rapid changes and global uncertainties”. He underlined the SCO’s responsibility in safeguarding peace, promoting development and enhancing cooperation among member countries.
“With concerted efforts, the SCO will play an even greater role in strengthening unity, amplifying the voice of the global South and contributing to the progress of human civilisation,” Xi told attendees.
Why the SCO Summit 2025 is important
The 25th SCO Summit holds crucial importance as member countries are facing complex challenges such as global trade tensions, regional conflicts, energy security and climate change. With major countries such as India, China and Russia taking the lead, the summit is expected to outline strategies that can reshape regional and global partnerships.
For India, participation in the summit underlines its strategic role in shaping multilateral forums. As global attention turns to Tianjin, Modi’s presence reflects New Delhi’s commitment to engage constructively with its neighbours and partners while safeguarding national interests.