Xi Jinping urges SCO to resist Cold War politics

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, SCO, to reject what he described as “Cold War mentality” and “bullying behaviour” in global affairs, as the regional bloc opened its annual summit in Tianjin on Monday.

The two-day gathering brought together more than twenty world leaders and senior officials from across Asia and beyond, underscoring the growing importance of the SCO as a platform for regional cooperation.

At the summit’s opening session, Xi stood alongside key partners including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The leaders posed for a formal group photograph on a red carpet outside the venue, symbolising a rare moment of visible unity among states that often pursue divergent foreign policy interests.

In his speech, Xi argued that the international environment has become increasingly unstable, citing rising geopolitical rivalries, economic uncertainty, and mounting security challenges.

He warned that bloc confrontations reminiscent of the Cold War could return if nations allowed great power competition to dictate global affairs. Instead, he urged SCO members to adhere to principles of fairness, justice, and mutual respect.

“The current international situation is becoming chaotic and intertwined,” Xi told the delegates. “The security and development tasks facing member states have become even more challenging.” He added that nations must oppose camp confrontations and resist external pressures that could divide the group.

The SCO, founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, has since expanded to include India, Pakistan, Iran, and most recently Belarus.

Beyond its ten full members, the organisation also counts 16 observer states and dialogue partners, giving it significant geographic reach across Eurasia and the Middle East.

Together, SCO countries represent nearly half of the world’s population and a major share of global economic output.

For Beijing and Moscow, the organisation serves not only as a forum for economic and security cooperation but also as a potential counterweight to Western alliances, particularly NATO.

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Both countries have long accused the United States and its allies of pursuing policies that marginalise emerging powers. In that context, Xi’s call to resist “bullying behaviour” was widely interpreted as a veiled critique of Western influence.

Putin, who has relied heavily on Chinese diplomatic and economic support since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, echoed Xi’s sentiments in his own remarks, defending Moscow’s actions and accusing Western nations of destabilising the global order.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, struck a more cautious note, highlighting economic cooperation and connectivity as priorities without directly aligning with either China or Russia’s rhetoric.

Analysts note that the SCO’s strength lies in its ability to bring together countries with vastly different political systems and foreign policy goals under a loose umbrella of cooperation.

However, this diversity also makes it difficult to achieve consensus on sensitive issues such as border disputes, terrorism, or relations with Western powers.

Xi’s emphasis on the so-called “Shanghai spirit” — a principle that stresses mutual trust, equality, and non-interference — was an attempt to remind members of the organisation’s founding ethos.

“Looking back, despite tumultuous times, we have achieved success by practicing the Shanghai spirit,” Xi said. “Looking to the future, with the world undergoing turbulence and transformation, we must continue to follow this path, keep our feet on the ground, forge ahead, and better perform the functions of the organisation.”

Punch Newspaper