Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday said the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is shouldering greater responsibilities for safeguarding regional peace and stability, and for boosting development of various countries in a world of increasing uncertainties and accelerated changes.
Xi made the remarks at a banquet to welcome international guests who are in China's port city of Tianjin to attend the SCO Summit 2025 from Sunday to Monday.
Before the banquet, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan welcomed the guests when they arrived.
Addressing the banquet, Xi expressed confidence that with concerted efforts of all parties, the summit will be a complete success, and that the SCO is certain to play an even bigger role and achieve more progress, making greater contribution to boosting the unity and cooperation among member states, pooling the strength of the Global South and pushing for more progress of human civilization.
Founded in Shanghai in June 2001, the SCO has expanded from six founding members into a 26-nation family of 10 members, two observers and 14 dialogue partners spanning Asia, Europe and Africa.
With major emerging markets and developing countries such as China, Russia and India among its members, the SCO represents nearly half of the world's population and a quarter of the global economy.
India and China
India and China are development partners, not rivals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on Sunday, as they discussed ways to improve trade ties amid global tariff uncertainty.
Modi is in China for the first time in seven years to attend a two-day meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation regional security bloc, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders from Iran, Pakistan and four Central Asian states in a show of Global South solidarity.
Analysts say Xi and Modi are seeking to align against pressure from the West, days after US President Donald Trump imposed a punitive total of 50% tariff on Indian goods, partly in response to New Delhi's purchase of Russian oil.
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