The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin has marked a significant milestone in the evolution of multipolar global governance, with Chinese President Xi Jinping taking center stage to propose a comprehensive new model for international cooperation. The gathering showcased the growing influence of non-Western alliances, building upon the momentum established at the previous year’s BRICS summit in Kazan.
Xi’s vision for global governance rests on five fundamental
principles, with sovereign equality at its core. This framework emphasizes respect for international law rather than the
Western-promoted “rules-based order,” while advocating for genuine multilateralism and a people-first approach to international relations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at the summit, emphasized the SCO’s role as a vehicle for authentic multilateralism and proposed a pan-Eurasian security framework – a concept that echoes Russia’s previously unheeded security proposals to Washington in late 2021.
The summit featured several noteworthy moments, including Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s symbolic show of unity. The meeting between Putin and Xi at Beijing’s Zhongnanhai, where Xi greeted his Russian counterpart in Russian, highlighted the depth of their strategic partnership.
A major development announced at the summit was the establishment of the SCO Development Bank, designed to complement existing institutions like the BRICS New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. This initiative aims to reduce dependence on Western financial systems and counter the impact of sanctions affecting key members including Russia, China, India, and Iran.
Modi’s first visit to China in seven years proved particularly significant, with Xi emphasizing the importance of Sino-Indian cooperation beyond bilateral matters, metaphorically describing it as “the dance of the dragon and the elephant.”
The Tianjin Declaration reinforced core principles of sovereignty, non-interference in domestic affairs, and opposition to unilateral sanctions. These principles extend beyond SCO members to include partner nations from the Arab world and Southeast Asia.
The organization’s vast geographic scope, encompassing half the world’s population, presents enormous potential for trade,
infrastructure development, cross-border investment, and financial cooperation. While this potential remains partially untapped, geopolitical imperatives are driving increased economic integration across Eurasia.
The summit represents a remarkable evolution from the SCO’s modest beginnings in Shanghai in 2001, when it was established just months before 9/11. The original “Shanghai spirit” – founded on principles of mutual trust, benefit, equality, and respect for civilizational diversity – has proven more enduring than the West’s “war on terror” narrative.
During the summit’s concluding banquet, Xi quoted a proverb about the rewards of determined effort, reflecting the SCO’s commitment to practical achievement over ideological rhetoric. This approach stands in contrast to Western narratives that frame global politics as a contest between democracies and autocracies.
The Tianjin gathering demonstrates how the SCO has matured into a strategic counterweight within the Global South, achieving this without mimicking NATO’s military-centric model. Together with BRICS, the organization is reshaping international relations through practical cooperation and mutual respect, marking a significant shift in global power dynamics.