The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit opening on September 1, 2025, in Tianjin, China. This important international event attracted more than 20 foreign leaders to take part. Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of closer collaboration on AI within the member states. Yet at the same time, he pushed back against the so-called “Cold War mentality.”
During the two-day summit, which is the largest of its kind to date, Xi Jinping met with various leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. That summit’s agenda is another demonstration of China’s growing ambition to play the role of global peacemaker. This all comes against the backdrop of continued global geopolitical unrest, including US-China trade disputes and wars such as in Ukraine and Israel-Hamas.
During his opening remarks, Xi Jinping called on SCO member states to work together on AI projects. He highlighted that this partnership is the key to innovation, mutual economic growth, and safety. He underscored it by citing the fact that China has invested $84 billion in other SCO member states, underpinning China’s commitment to regional development.
Xi’s rhetoric even spilled over into education programs too. In July, he announced an extraordinarily ambitious plan for China. The country has already pledged to send 10,000 students from SCO nations to Beijing’s “Luban” vocational education program. More positively, this initiative seeks to improve skills and knowledge transfer between the member states, strengthening bonds and building trust and respect.
Secretary of State John Kerry, as the summit continues, analysts are already noting that thawing relations between India and China are especially important. India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs echoed this sentiment, stating, “A stable relationship and cooperation between India and China and their 2.8 billion peoples on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity are necessary for the growth and development of the two countries.”
Marko Papic, a geopolitical analyst, noted the significance of Sino-Indian relations, saying, “The improvement of relations with India is a big deal. It allows India to access highly critical intellectual property that it needs if it is to industrialize and boost manufacturing.”
In promoting the rejection of a Cold War mentality, Xi is timely, as the rising multipolarity in global affairs is increasingly gaining ground. Critics point to the fact that deepening tensions with the U.S. play right into the narrative of a rising multipolar world order. Papic remarked, “Over the long term, the U.S. is losing the propaganda battle to paint China as the trouble-maker-in-chief.”
As part of his diplomatic outreach during the summit, Xi Jinping met with at least 10 visiting leaders, including Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet. Later this week, Xi will meet Vladimir Putin. This meeting will solidify their relationship even more while the world looks on with great interest.
The SCO Summit is different from usual diplomatic meetings. It gives China an excellent platform on which to project its growing status as a conflict mediator. The context of deepening global crises sets the stage for China’s effort to expand its reach while advocating for a more stable world based on reciprocal cooperation.
Shortly after the close of the meetings on Monday evening local time, China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, will deliver a press conference. He’s going to be providing more information on the conversations that took place from the summit. A detailed joint statement outlining more specific recommendations and priorities emerging from the SCO Summit will be released at its conclusion.