SCO Summit 2025: Overview
When & Where
The 25th SCO Heads of State Summit was held in Tianjin, China, from August 31 to September 1, 2025—the largest summit in the organization’s history.
Host & Theme
China, under President Xi Jinping’s stewardship, presided over the summit, marking its fifth time hosting.
The summit’s theme: “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move.”
Members & Participants
Full Members (10)
China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus.
Observers
Afghanistan and Mongolia.
Dialogue Partners (not exhaustive)
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Egypt, Nepal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, plus others like UAE, Maldives, Myanmar.
Summit Attendees
More than 20 world leaders and heads from 10 international organizations participated—among them, Putin, Modi, Erdoğan, Iranian President Pezeshkian, and UN Secretary-General Guterres.
Objectives & Key Highlights
Strategic Goals
Strengthen cooperation in security, politics, trade, investment, energy, culture, and connectivity.
Reinforce the “Shanghai Spirit”—built on mutual trust, equality, cultural respect, and consultation.
Push back against Cold War mentality and promote multipolar global governance.
Key Outcomes & Proposals
Adoption of a 10-year Development Strategy (2025–2035) to chart the bloc’s future.
Issuance of the Tianjin Declaration and statements marking the 80th anniversaries of WWII’s end and the UN’s founding.
China proposed the creation of an SCO Development Bank and pledged ~$1.4 billion in loans.
Acceptance of India’s vision: “One Earth, One Family, One Future,” embedded in the summit’s declaration.
Focus on regional diplomacy: India’s strong push for security, connectivity, and opportunity, along with a united stance against terrorism.
Summary Table
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Host & Venue | Tianjin, China (Aug 31–Sept 1, 2025) |
| Theme | Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move |
| Members | 10 full members; observers: Afghanistan, Mongolia; multiple dialogue partners |
| Key Objectives | Security, economic cooperation, cultural exchange, multipolar governance |
| Major Outcomes | 10-year Development Strategy, Tianjin Declaration, development bank proposal, India’s shared-future vision |
| India’s Role | Advocated for regional connectivity, security, anti-terror efforts, sustainable growth |
The SCO Summit 2025 in Tianjin reaffirmed the organization’s evolving role—as both a regional security mechanism and a platform for broader economic, cultural, and geopolitical collaboration, aimed at shaping a multipolar, inclusive global order.
