Chinese President Xi Jinping as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin among leaders of 10-member bloc to deliver statements
The 25th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) opened Monday in northern China with President Xi Jinping delivering the opening address.
Ahead of delivering their national statements, the leaders the 10-member bloc, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stood for a family photo in Tianjin city, TV footage showed.
At the end of the summit, they are expected to sign the Tianjin Declaration and approve a 10-year strategy alongside outcome documents on security, trade, energy and cultural cooperation.
The summit will also issue statements on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the founding of the UN.
The SCO evolved from the "Shanghai Five" mechanism comprising China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan before Uzbekistan joined as the sixth member. Today, it includes 10 member states, two observers and 14 dialogue partners across Asia, Europe and Africa.
The organization covers approximately 24% of global land area and 42% of the world’s population, with member states accounting for roughly one-quarter of global GDP and trade increasing nearly 100-fold in two decades.
China’s trade with SCO members, observers and dialogue partners reached a record $890 billion in 2024, or 14.4% of its total foreign trade.
The previous SCO leaders’ summit was held in Kazakhstan in July 2024, where 25 strategic documents were adopted covering energy, security, finance and information security.
