Putin, Xi, and Modi strengthen ties to promote a new world order.

BeijingThe 25th edition of The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, held in Tianjin, has served to strengthen ties between Russia, China, and India to counter Western hegemony. Host China outlined its vision of a new world order to around twenty heads of state, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Chinese President Xi Jinping championed multilateralism and a "fairer and more equitable" system of governance, and accompanied his speech with concrete measures such as the creation of a new regional development bank.

At a time when Donald Trump's disruptive policies are destabilizing the global economy, Xi Jinping used this regional forum to present himself as a leader of the developing world committed to stability and peace. The meeting also left an image of Xi, Modi, and Putin together, laughing and chatting amicably. It is an image of unity among three of the world's leading powers, in contrast to a United States that appears to be retreating from international organizations and at odds with the world over tariffs.

In his speech, Xi argued that the SCO is an alternative to traditional alliances and should develop trade and cooperation among member states. He called on his partners to abandon the "cold war mentality" and bloc confrontations. He also insisted on the need to take advantage of the "large-scale markets" that exist between the organization's countries and enhance collaboration.

Xi backed up his words with concrete measures and funding. He pledged to distribute $280 million (about €239 million) in aid to member states this year and 10 billion yuan (about €1.197 billion) in loans to an SCO banking consortium.

The call for a new SCO development bank would pave the way for developing alternative payment systems to the dollar or even creating a common currency for regional use, which would be a major step towards strengthening the organization.

In his opening speech at the forum, Xi criticized the intimidating behavior of certain countries, without mentioning the United States, but in clear reference to Trump's tariff war. The 50% tariffs he imposed on India were one of the triggers for the two Asian powers to mend relations and commit to collaborating.

Putin blames the West for the war

The Russian president was the most forceful in his criticism of the West, repeating the message that the war in Ukraine is the fault of Western countries for their "constant attempts to drag Ukraine into NATO" and for what he called "a coup d'état" defended and promoted by the West.

Putin thanked the "efforts" of China, India, and "other partners" (the SCO blog) to end the war in Ukraine. He also said he hopes that the "understanding reached" at the meeting with Trump in Alaska "will pave the way for peace."

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization meetings had always been of regional interest, but the geopolitical situation created by the invasion of Ukraine, Trump's tariff war, and the US bombing of Iran They have turned the event into a forum to raise awareness of the positions of what is known as the Global South.

A bloc of undemocratic countries

The SCO accounts for 23.5% of global GDP and 40% of the global population. Despite its weight, it also represents a majority of authoritarian governments that do not respect human rights.

The organization is made up of China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. It also has 16 other countries among partners and observers, along with a dozen international organizations that participate in the meetings.

The summit facilitates bilateral meetings between guests such as Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi, which resulted in an announcement of cooperation between the two countries. Putin has held meetings with the Turkish and Iranian presidents, and the Indian prime minister. Modi has called for an end to the conflict in Ukraine, but has not endorsed the criticisms of Xi and Putin.

Instead, the Indian leader has demanded that the SCO adopt a "zero tolerance" stance toward "cross-border terrorism, separatism, and extremism." This is a direct reference to the war. which has been maintained this year with another partner, Pakistan.

Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin are scheduled to hold a personal meeting on Tuesday, where the topic of Ukraine is expected to be raised. The European Union has been pressuring China to leverage its proximity to Russia to force a ceasefire, but Trump's meeting with Putin in Alaska, where such an option was ruled out, frees the Chinese leader.

After the summit, some heads of state will remain in Beijing to attend the grand military parade on Wednesday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender. After the diplomacy of these days, China is expected to showcase its great military power in the parade.