Tianjin, China, Sep 1 (EFE).-
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi showcased a united front at the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit on Monday, challenging Western dominance and calling for a multipolar world order.
Xi announced that China would provide about $280 million in aid to member states this year, urging countries to “tear down walls, not build them,” and to “oppose hegemony and protectionism,” a veiled reference to US policies under President Donald Trump.
He stressed that the SCO must be “a pillar of multipolarity and the democratization of international relations,” adding that its members “will never be enemies.”
Putin thanked China, India, and other SCO partners for their efforts to end the war in Ukraine, blaming Western attempts to bring Ukraine into NATO as one of the roots of the conflict.
Modi, meanwhile, urged “zero tolerance” toward “cross-border terrorism, separatism, and extremism.”
A statement against interference
The SCO issued a joint statement rejecting “interference in internal affairs” under the pretext of human rights and condemning disruptions to international trade.
Member states reaffirmed their commitment to building a lasting peace and cooperating against separatism, terrorism, and extremism.
The declaration strongly condemned the April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people and warned against the spread of “radical ideologies, religious intolerance, xenophobia, violent nationalism, and racial and ethnic discrimination.”
It is notable that the SCO defense ministers’ meeting in Qingdao last June ended without a joint statement due to disagreements between India and Pakistan over terrorism linked to the same attack.
The summit statement also expressed “deep concern” about the conflict in Gaza, stressing that only a “comprehensive and fair solution to the Palestinian question” could guarantee peace in the Middle East. However, the text did not mention the war in Ukraine.
Modi–Putin meeting
On the sidelines of the summit, Modi told Putin that ending the Ukraine war was “a plea from all of humanity.”
He welcomed recent peace efforts and urged all parties to adopt a constructive approach to resolve the conflict quickly.
Modi highlighted the resilience of India–Russia ties, recalling that the two countries had stood “shoulder to shoulder” even in difficult times.
Despite US pressure over Russian oil imports, India has maintained its strategic partnership with Moscow.
Washington has retaliated with tariffs, heightening tensions as Modi seeks to balance ties with the West while deepening engagement with the SCO.
Billed by Beijing as the largest SCO summit since its founding in 2001, the gathering in Tianjin brought together leaders of member states and heads of observer and partner countries, including Turkey, Egypt, and Myanmar.
On Wednesday, Beijing will host a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific, with Xi, Putin, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expected to attend.
Unlike NATO, the SCO does not include mutual defense clauses.
Its members, China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, account for around 40 percent of the global population. EFE aa-sk
