• The SCO Summit in Tianjin runs from August 31 to September 1, featuring over 20 world leaders.
• Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasizes the SCO's role in promoting regional stability and cooperation.
• Geopolitical tensions, particularly stemming from U.S. tariffs and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, influence the summit's agenda.
• India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends, marking a thaw in China-India relations amidst ongoing border discussions.
• The summit is seen as an opportunity for China to assert its position as a leader of the Global South.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit is taking place in Tianjin, China, from August 31 to September 1, with more than 20 world leaders in attendance, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This marks Modi's first visit to China since 2018, highlighting a shift in diplomatic relations influenced by global economic challenges, particularly U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump, which have pushed countries to seek stronger partnerships within the SCO framework, according to trtglobal and Al Jazeera.

President Xi Jinping has expressed the SCO's "greater responsibility" for maintaining peace in this era of increased instability and uncertainty. He emphasized the organization's role in fostering regional development and cooperation during an opening banquet attended by various global leaders. The summit is framed as a pivotal moment for the SCO, showcasing its importance in advocating for a multilateral approach amid rising unilateral tendencies from the West, according to South China Morning Post and Dawn.

The summit's agenda includes discussions on security, economic cooperation, and digital technology, aimed at addressing both traditional threats such as terrorism and newer challenges like cybersecurity. Xi's call for a united approach echoes a broader desire among SCO member states to create an alternative to unipolarity, particularly against U.S. foreign policy, which has often been perceived as exclusionary and aggressive, according to trtglobal and Al Jazeera.

China's hosting of the summit is also significant in light of its ambitions to position itself as a stable and benevolent global power amid rising geopolitical tensions, especially related to ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Analysts suggest that the optics of the summit could be beneficial for China as it seeks to solidify its leadership role within the Global South, countering narratives of Western dominance, as highlighted by experts in various analyses of the summit's implications, according to South China Morning Post and Al Jazeera.

Notably, the summit is expected to produce key documents outlining the SCO's strategic development for the next decade. These documents will likely reflect a collective commitment to enhancing security cooperation, economic integration, and cultural exchange among member states, strengthening the organization's position as a counterweight to Western-led initiatives, according to Dawn and trtglobal.