Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): Complete Exam-Oriented Notes

Introduction

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental regional organisation focusing on security cooperation, counter-terrorism, economic cooperation, connectivity, energy, technology, cultural exchanges and regional stability. It has evolved from a security-centric Eurasian grouping into a wider platform for multipolar cooperation, Global South leadership, and Eurasian connectivity.The 25th Council of Heads of State Meeting of the SCO was held in Tianjin, China, from 31 August to 1 September 2025, under China’s chairmanship. The summit was important because it produced the Tianjin Declaration, approved the SCO Development Strategy until 2035, strengthened security mechanisms, and transferred the chairmanship from China to Kyrgyzstan for 2025–2026.

Basic Facts of SCO

Evolution of SCO

The SCO originated from the Shanghai Five Mechanism of 1996, which initially focused on border security and confidence-building. In 2001, it became the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Its early focus was on the “three evils” — terrorism, separatism and extremism.Over time, the SCO expanded its agenda to include economic cooperation, energy security, trade, investment, digital economy, AI governance, transport connectivity, cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. This expansion has made SCO an important Eurasian platform linking security, economy and geopolitics.

Membership of SCO in 2025

Expansion Milestones

SCO Summit 2025: Tianjin

The 25th SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting was held at the Meijiang International Convention and Exhibition Center, Tianjin, on 1 September 2025. It was chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping.The meeting was attended by leaders of Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, along with the SCO Secretary-General and the Director of RATS.The summit discussed the entire spectrum of SCO cooperation, including political and security cooperation, trade, investment, energy, industry, sustainable development, new technologies, regional issues and institutional strengthening.

Theme and Chairmanship

The Tianjin summit marked the end of China’s chairmanship and the transfer of chairmanship to the Kyrgyz Republic.

Major Outcomes of Tianjin Summit 2025

The Tianjin Summit approved 24 documents, including the Tianjin Declaration, the SCO Development Strategy until 2035, a statement on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and formation of the United Nations, and several thematic statements.The summit also approved agreements for establishing an SCO Anti-Drug Center and a Universal Center for Countering Challenges and Threats to SCO Security. Launch ceremonies for these centres were also conducted.

Key Documents and Decisions

Security Cooperation

Security remained the central pillar of the SCO Summit 2025. Member states reaffirmed their fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism. The summit condemned terrorism in all forms and emphasised that there should be no double standards in counter-terrorism.The SCO also stressed intelligence sharing, joint military exercises, counter-terror financing and tackling online radicalisation. These steps strengthen the SCO’s role as an Eurasian collective security architecture outside Western alliance systems.

Technological Cooperation and AI

The summit focused on Artificial Intelligence and the digital economy. It supported the equal right of countries to develop and use AI while reducing risks, improving accountability and ensuring security.Proposals such as SCO AI collaboration centres and open-source AI models were linked to the wider idea of digital sovereignty and reducing Western dominance in technology governance.

Economic Cooperation and Development Finance

The SCO Development Strategy until 2035 provides a roadmap for trade expansion, investment facilitation and regional value chains. Its objective is to reduce dependency on external markets and currencies.China announced 2 billion yuan grant/free aid and 10 billion yuan loans through the SCO Banking Consortium. The proposed SCO Development Bank, Development Fund and Investment Fund were discussed as mechanisms to support shared growth and reduce external financial dependence.

Energy Cooperation

The summit approved a Sustainable Energy Statement and an Energy Cooperation Roadmap till 2030. The focus was on stable energy supply chains, renewable energy and fair energy transition.Energy cooperation is significant because SCO includes major energy producers and consumers, making it important for Eurasian energy security.

India’s Engagement at SCO 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the 25th SCO Summit in Tianjin during his official visit to Japan and China from 29 August to 1 September 2025. On the sidelines, he held bilateral meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.India presented its SCO approach through three pillars: Security, Connectivity and Opportunity.

India’s Three-Pillar Framework

India also proposed a Civilizational Dialogue Forum and emphasised cooperation against terror financing and radicalisation.

India–China Bilateral Context

During the summit, PM Modi and President Xi Jinping noted improvement in India–China relations since the BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2024. Both leaders stated that India and China are development partners and agreed that differences should not turn into disputes.Before the summit, China’s Ambassador to India Xu Feihong stated that PM Modi’s Tianjin visit would give fresh impetus to India–China relations. He referred to coordination by a Joint Working Group, the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to New Delhi, and the 24th round of Special Representatives’ dialogue between NSA Ajit Doval and Wang Yi, which reached a “very important 10-point consensus”.The resumption of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra was welcomed. Bilateral trade in H1 2025 crossed $74 billion, showing a 10.2% year-on-year increase.

India–Russia Bilateral Context

In his meeting with President Vladimir Putin, PM Modi stated that India–Russia cooperation remains vital for global peace, stability and prosperity.This showed India’s continued balancing strategy within SCO, where India engages with both Russia and China while maintaining its strategic autonomy.

Xi Jinping’s Remarks at Tianjin Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping described the global situation as increasingly chaotic and intertwined. He criticised “bullying behaviour” in the international order and urged SCO members to oppose Cold War mentality, bloc confrontation and unilateral bullying practices.Xi emphasised the Shanghai Spirit, which includes mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and common development.China also pushed for deeper economic cooperation, better alignment of development strategies and high-quality implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative. Xi stressed trade and investment facilitation, cultural exchanges and civilisational dialogue.

Shanghai Spirit

The Shanghai Spirit is the guiding principle of SCO cooperation.

SCO Plus Meeting

After the Council of Heads of State meeting, an SCO Plus Meeting was held on the theme:“Turning Multilateralism into Action, Ensuring Regional Security, and Promoting Sustainable Development.”Participants included SCO members, observer state Mongolia, dialogue partners, invited countries, and international organisations such as UN, CIS, ASEAN, CSTO, EEC, CICA, ECO and AIIB.This meeting highlighted SCO’s wider diplomatic outreach and its attempt to shape multilateral cooperation beyond its core membership.

SCO and ASEAN / East Asia Summit

At the 19th East Asia Summit held on 11 October 2024 in Vientiane, Lao PDR, SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming attended as a guest to strengthen SCO–ASEAN cooperation.He highlighted interconnectivity, economic integration, political cooperation and cultural exchanges. The address stressed that SCO and ASEAN cooperation aims at common prosperity and equal access to benefits.The event reinforced SCO’s role in Eurasian–East Asian connectivity and strengthened cooperation in political, economic and cultural domains.

Kyrgyzstan’s SCO Chairmanship 2025–2026

Kyrgyzstan assumed its fourth chairmanship of SCO on 1 September 2025. The next SCO Summit will be held in Bishkek in 2026.Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev stated that President Sadyr Zhaparov outlined priorities focused on stability, economic cooperation, transport infrastructure and digitalisation.

Kyrgyzstan’s Priorities

Future SCO Summits

The SCO chairmanship rotates annually among members and the chair hosts the Council of Heads of State Summit.

Global Significance of SCO Summit 2025

The Tianjin Summit projected SCO as a platform for multipolar global governance. It advocated reform of the UN Security Council, reform of global financial institutions and inclusive global governance.China proposed the Global Governance Initiative, while the summit highlighted the role of SCO as a South-South cooperation platform and a non-Western model of regional cooperation.The renewed Russia–India–China engagement showed SCO’s role as a platform for managing great-power relations and regional diplomatic tensions.

Debate: SCO and “New World Order”

The Tianjin Summit was projected by some commentators as a sign of a new global order. However, another view argues that such a claim is exaggerated because the summit produced more symbolism, optics and rhetoric than substantive transformation.The critical view highlights continuing challenges such as India–China strategic distrust, Russia’s relative decline, India’s reducing defence dependence on Russia, and limited practical gains from summit diplomacy.The SCO resolution on terrorism, including reference to the Pahalgam attack, was seen as a diplomatic gain for India, but diluted by China’s balancing references to attacks inside Pakistan.The broader assessment is that India’s global influence depends not only on summit diplomacy but also on sustained economic and military capacity building.

Challenges and Limitations of SCO

The SCO faces several internal contradictions. Member states have border disputes, bilateral tensions and divergent connectivity visions. China’s dominant trade position creates economic asymmetry.The consensus-based decision-making structure often leads to diluted outcomes. While SCO has become a major Eurasian platform, its effectiveness depends on managing internal disputes and converting declarations into practical cooperation.

Importance for India

For India, SCO is important for Eurasian engagement, regional security, counter-terrorism, energy security, connectivity and multipolar diplomacy.India uses SCO to strengthen cooperation on terror financing, radicalisation, regional stability and connectivity projects such as Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor.At the same time, India balances its participation carefully because SCO includes both China and Pakistan, making strategic autonomy and diplomatic caution essential.

Conclusion

The SCO Summit 2025 in Tianjin was significant because it combined security cooperation, economic integration, development finance, energy cooperation, AI governance and Global South diplomacy. It approved the Tianjin Declaration, adopted the SCO Development Strategy until 2035, established new security mechanisms and transferred chairmanship to Kyrgyzstan.The SCO is increasingly positioning itself as an important platform in the emerging multipolar world order. Its long-term success will depend on whether member states can manage internal contradictions while deepening cooperation in security, economy, connectivity, technology and sustainable development.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): Chronology of Major Events, Meetings and Summits

Important SCO Institutional Meetings

Important Timelines for Prelims

Prelims Pointers