President Putin in China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived today, Sunday (August 31), in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin to participate in the two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which aims to present an alternative model of governance that brings together many of the world’s major powers.
Kremlin strongman Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Peskov, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are among about 20 Eurasian heads of state and government who will participate along with officials from international and regional organizations in the SCO summit, scheduled for Sunday and Monday in the port city of Tianjin. Some leaders, including Putin and Peskov, have been invited to extend their stay until Wednesday to attend Beijing’s grand military parade to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II with the formal surrender of Japan.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will travel to neighboring and ally China for this purpose, in order to stand by Xi Jinping. North Korea has become a key ally of Russia in the war against Ukraine, sending thousands of soldiers to fight alongside Russian forces. It remains unclear whether the leaders of Russia and North Korea will hold private talks on the sidelines of the military parade in Beijing.
Putin holds talks with Xi Jinping, Erdogan, Pesekian and Modi in Beijing
Vladimir Putin will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Beijing. On Monday, he is expected to discuss developments in Ukraine with the Turkish president and Tehran’s nuclear program with his Iranian counterpart. A meeting with the Indian prime minister is also scheduled for the same day.
Many of Kiev’s allies believe that Beijing is supporting Moscow in its military operations against Ukraine. China claims neutrality and accuses Western powers of prolonging the war by arming Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping described relations with Russia as “the most strategically important among major powers” in a turbulent and changing world.
The summit “will strengthen the SCO’s ability to address the challenges and threats of the modern world, consolidating solidarity across the common Eurasian space,” Putin said in an interview with China’s Xinhua news agency , underlining the need for a “more just, multipolar world order.”
In preparation for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, Beijing praised multilateralism, away from “Cold War mindsets and outdated notions of geopolitical confrontation,” in a clear jab at the US and its allies.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization consists of 10 member states, while 16 countries have observer or dialogue partner roles. It represents almost half of the world’s population and 23.5% of global GDP. It is often presented as a counterweight to NATO.
This year’s summit is described as the largest since the SCO was founded in 2001, amid multiple crises that directly affect its members: the US trade confrontation with China and India, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program.
There is no shortage of friction within the SCO. China and India have been working to improve their relations after border hostilities in 2020, especially in the wake of tariffs announced by the United States. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tianjin on Saturday, his first visit to China since 2018. But he is not among the leaders announced to attend Wednesday’s military parade in Beijing.
Sources: APE-MPA-AFP
