Tianjin (China) (AFP) – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday hosts leaders from Russia, India, Iran, Turkey, and twenty other countries in Eurasia at a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, intended to present a new model for international relations centered on China amid escalating geopolitical tensions and increasing US tariffs.

At around 7:00 pm Sunday (11:00 GMT), the leader of the world’s second-largest economy holds a ceremony in Tianjin (north) to honor participants of the summit taking place Monday, the first since Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Since Saturday, heads of state and government from about twenty countries and officials from nearly ten international organizations have been arriving in the large coastal city, a symbol of China’s economic dynamism.

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived Sunday morning away from media despite leading a large political and economic delegation, according to official Russian and Chinese media.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed Saturday on his first visit to China since 2018, reflecting the rapprochement between the two Asian giants. Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed him, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

A large number of bilateral meetings are expected on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

The summit is subject to strict security and military measures, with armored vehicles deployed on some streets, traffic cut off in large parts of Tianjin, and signs in Mandarin and Russian praising the “Tianjin spirit” and “mutual trust” between Moscow and Beijing.

This summit is the most important for the organization since its founding in 2001, held amid multiple crises directly affecting its members, from the US-China-India trade confrontation to the Russian war on Ukraine, and the Iranian nuclear issue.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization includes 10 member states and 16 observer or partner states, representing nearly half the world’s population and 23.5% of global GDP. It presents itself as a balancing force to NATO.

However, there are also disagreements within the organization. China and India, the two most populous countries in the world, compete for influence in South Asia and fought a deadly border clash in 2020. Yet they are currently working to strengthen their relations, especially amid US tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on both countries.

Experts urge focusing on the image the summit will project rather than on its tangible outcomes, which remain uncertain.

Growing Influence

Dylan Luo, a lecturer at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said the summit offers “a multilateral model designed by China different from Western-dominated models,” noting that “the wide participation reflects China’s growing influence and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s ability to attract non-Western countries.”

The summit is an opportunity for China to showcase its diplomatic influence and military strength, presenting itself as a center of stability in a divided world.

Some leaders, including Russian Vladimir Putin and Iranian Masoud Pezeshkian, were invited to extend their stay until Wednesday to attend a massive military parade in Beijing celebrating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and victory over Japan.

For this occasion, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is making a rare visit outside his isolated country to stand alongside his ally Xi Jinping.

North Korea has become one of Russia’s most important allies in its war against Ukraine. South Korean intelligence and Western agencies confirm that North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to fight alongside Russia.

It is not yet certain if Putin and Kim will hold talks during the military parade.

About two weeks after meeting Trump in Alaska, Putin will hold talks with Xi on Tuesday in Beijing. On Monday in Tianjin, he is expected to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss the Ukraine conflict, and also Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss the Iranian nuclear file.

He will also meet the Indian Prime Minister.

Many Kyiv allies suspect Beijing supports Moscow in the war on Ukraine, but China insists it remains neutral and accuses Western countries of prolonging the conflict by arming Ukraine.

A phone call took place between the Indian Prime Minister and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who expressed on social media his hope to raise the need for a ceasefire in his country during the summit, confirming Modi’s support for this issue.