China this weekend staged the largest-ever gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), drawing more than 20 heads of state and international leaders to Tianjin in what Beijing framed as an alternative vision to Western-led alliances. The two-day summit, which ran from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1, underscored China's ambition to present itself as a central convening power at a time of deepening rivalry with Washington.
Chinese President Xi Jinping personally welcomed an array of world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. According to The Associated Press, the scale of the event — spanning member states, observers, and dialogue partners from across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe — marked a new high point for the 25-year-old SCO, which has long billed itself as a counterweight to U.S. influence.
