Modi and Xi Rebuild Ties as SCO Summit Charts Future of Asia Cooperation

In Tianjin, China, the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit convened over two days in late August 2025, bringing together more than 20 leaders from Asia, Europe, and Africa to discuss a reshaped global order amid ongoing geopolitical shifts. The gathering underscored China’s push for a more balanced international governance system and heightened cooperation among non-Western countries in the face of rising U.S. trade protectionism and global turbulence.

President Xi Jinping opened the summit by critiquing persistent Cold War mentalities and economic bullying, implicitly confronting the impact of U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump’s administration. He called on member states to unify efforts to build a "more just and balanced international governance framework," highlighting the urgent need to address new global challenges as the world reaches a governance crossroads.A notable highlight was the historic meeting between China’s Xi and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Chinese soil for the first time in seven years. The leaders—representing nearly 2.8 billion people—expressed a mutual commitment to partnership and enhancing cooperation. Despite long-standing border disputes and India’s concerns over Chinese imports, both acknowledged the geopolitical urgency spurred by U.S. tariffs. Analysts, including Wendy Cutler from the Asia Society Policy Institute, interpret this rapprochement as partly motivated by the economic pressures from Washington.

The summit also cast a spotlight on the growing camaraderie between the "troika" of Xi, Modi, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. This symbolic display of unity counters U.S. narratives accusing India and China of supporting Moscow amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Modi reaffirmed India-Russia ties as “friendly and trusting,” which was underscored by a personal photo he shared of a meeting with Putin inside the Russian leader’s armored vehicle.

Throughout the summit, the SCO adopted key political declarations and development strategies spanning 2026 to 2035, including frameworks to counter extremist ideologies, promote sustainable development, and reinforce counter-terrorism. Laos earned partner status, expanding the organization’s influence. The collective focus was on fostering regional security, economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural collaboration to enhance the bloc’s overall cohesion.

The summit’s outcomes reinforce China’s ambition to reposition the SCO as a cornerstone of a new global security and economic architecture, distinct from Western-led frameworks, while underscoring the complexities of balancing trade, security, and geopolitical interests within the diverse membership.