PM Narendra Modi will attend the 25th SCOSummit in Tianjin, China.
PM Narendra Modi will visit Japan and China from August 29 to September 1. After finishing his Japan trip, he will go to Tianjin in China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, which will be held from August 31 to September 1, 2025.
This will be the 25th meeting of the SCO. China will be hosting it for the fifth time. During the summit, PM Modi is expected to meet several world leaders. Earlier this week, Chinese FM Wang Yi met Modi in New Delhi and personally gave him President Xi Jinping’s invitation to join the event.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a political, economic, and security group that brings together many Asian countries. It was formed in 2001 with six founding members — China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
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Later, India and Pakistan became members in 2017. Iran joined in 2023, and Belarus became the latest member in 2024. With this, the SCO now has 10 member countries.
The SCO represents 24% of the world’s land and 42% of the global population. Over the years, it has become one of the most important organisations in Asia and has gained international importance as well.
The SCO is not only about security or politics, it is also an economic powerhouse. Together, the member nations make up 23% of the world’s total GDP. If measured by purchasing power parity (PPP), their share is even higher at 36%.
The collective GDP of SCO nations was $24.4 trillion in 2023, according to Statista. This demonstrates the group's ability to affect international trade and the economy.
In 2017, India was admitted as a full member of the SCO. It has been actively influencing the group's agenda ever since. India had a significant role during its presidency in 2022–2023. It has consistently called for increased cooperation in areas including commerce, transportation, connectivity, and counterterrorism.
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The SCO is a crucial forum for India's communication with both allies and adversaries. Additionally, it enables India to maintain its own foreign policy stance while managing its connections with strong nations like China and Russia.
The Tianjin summit will be held at a time when the world is going through big challenges. Trade wars, energy shortages, and regional conflicts are shaping global discussions. With 42% of the world’s population as part of it, the SCO has the capacity to play a key role in deciding the direction of global cooperation.
For India, PM Modi’s presence at the summit shows its determination to take part in solving global issues and to strengthen regional security and economic ties.
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