Leaders Putin and Xi propose a fresh global system during their meeting in China.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit took place in Tianjin, China, with leaders from ten member states, including Russia, China, India, and Iran, in attendance. The SCO, founded 24 years ago, is a political counterweight to Western alliances like NATO and the EU, and this year's summit was marked by a call for peace, multilateralism, and the rejection of a Cold War mentality.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping led the gathering, with Putin advocating for a world order without US and European dominance. Xi, in his address, stated that the world is experiencing changes not seen in a century, with a noticeable increase in instability and uncertainty. He emphasized that the SCO bears an even greater responsibility for maintaining peace and stability in the region.
A notable moment occurred before the ceremony when Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were seen walking hand in hand through the conference hall. Despite this friendly gesture, Putin did not address the conflict in Ukraine in his public remarks, although he met with Modi on the sidelines of the summit and they called for an end to the war.
The SCO members signed a joint declaration condemning economic coercion and criticizing Israel and US attacks on Iran in June, as well as the terrorist attack in the Indian-administered region of Kashmir on April 22. Xi announced $2 billion yuan (around €239.5 million) in aid for SCO members at the summit.
Iranian President Massud Peseschkian and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the summit, with Modi's visit to China seen as an approximation to Peking. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi praised Xi's proposal for a Global Government Initiative (GGI) as the "biggest highlight" of the summit. The GGI aims to promote multilateralism and genuine action, although no further details were provided.
Xi held individual talks with the heads of state and government of more than 20 announced summit participants, as well as organizational representatives. Putin expressed his expectation that Turkey will continue to serve as the host for Russian-Ukrainian talks.
Putin will stay in China for several days to attend a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday and to hold bilateral Russian-Chinese negotiations on Tuesday. As the SCO summit concluded, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to upholding peace, stability, and multilateralism in the region, and to working together to address global challenges.
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