China Aims to Project Global Leadership at SCO Summit Amidst Global Tensions

China is leveraging the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to portray itself as a stabilizing influence and advocate for multilateralism amidst global instability. This move is seen by analysts as a way for China to counter the perceived unilateralism of the United States.

The upcoming summit in Tianjin, scheduled for late August and early September, will be the largest gathering of the SCO to date. It will bring together leaders from countries with varying relationships, including Russia, Iran, India, Pakistan, and China. While the summit provides a platform for China to promote its vision of a multipolar world and enhance its global leadership, some observers caution that internal disagreements could hinder these goals, potentially making the event more about appearances and pronouncements than concrete outcomes.

The Tianjin summit, hosted by China for the first time since 2018, is expected to attract over twenty heads of state and ten leaders of international organizations. This year's summit will also feature significant representation from Southeast Asia, with leaders from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam scheduled to attend, along with representatives from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.

The SCO originated in 2001 from the "Shanghai Five," a group established in the mid-1990s by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan to address border issues and foster trust. Over the past two decades, the SCO has grown to include ten full members, with Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus joining the original members. The bloc also includes observer states like Afghanistan and Mongolia, along with fourteen dialogue partners from various regions.

For China, hosting this year's summit is about demonstrating its influence and convening power in a challenging global environment. According to analysts, the message China aims to convey is one of strength and leadership. One expert noted that China has invested significantly more diplomatic resources into this event compared to previous summits hosted by Russia or India. The fact that the SCO is named after a Chinese city further underscores the importance Beijing places on the organization and its chairmanship.