25th SCO Summit 2025
1. Basic Facts
- Venue: Meijiang International Convention & Exhibition Center, Tianjin, China
- Chairmanship: China
- Presided by: President Xi Jinping
- Secretary-General: Nurlan Yermekbayev
- Theme: “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move”
2. SCO: Establishment & Structure
- Established: 15 June 2001, Shanghai
- Charter: Signed 2002 (St. Petersburg); Enforced 2003
- Headquarters: Beijing, China
- RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure): Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Origin
- Emerged from Shanghai Five Mechanism (1996)
- Initial focus: Border security & confidence-building
3. Membership Status (2025)
Full Members (10)
China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
Observers
Afghanistan, Mongolia
Expansion Milestones
- India & Pakistan: 2017
- Iran: 2023
- Belarus: 2024
4. Evolution of SCO Mandate
- Initial Focus:
- Terrorism
- Separatism
- Extremism
- Expanded Agenda:
- Economic cooperation
- Connectivity & trade
- Energy security
- Cultural & people-to-people exchanges
5. Key Outcomes of SCO Summit 2025
A. Security Cooperation
- Reaffirmed zero tolerance to terrorism
- Condemned terrorism in all forms and manifestations
- Emphasised:
- No double standards in counter-terrorism
- Intelligence sharing
- Joint military exercises
- Counter-terror financing
- Tackling online radicalisation
Significance:
- Strengthens Eurasian collective security architecture outside Western alliances (NATO-centric system).
B. Technological Cooperation
- Focus Areas:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Digital Economy
- Key Principles:
- Equal right of nations to develop and use AI
- Risk reduction & accountability
- AI security governance
- Proposals:
- SCO AI Collaboration Centres
- Open-source AI models
Significance:
- Challenges Western dominance in tech governance
- Promotes digital sovereignty of Global South nations
C. Economic Integration
i. SCO Development Strategy till 2035
- Roadmap for:
- Trade expansion
- Investment facilitation
- Regional value chains
- Objective:
- Reduce dependency on external markets and currencies
ii. SCO Development Bank (Proposed)
- China pledged:
- ¥2 billion free aid
- ¥10 billion loans via SCO Banking Consortium
- Aim:
- Reduce reliance on dollar-based financial systems
iii. Energy Cooperation
- Approved:
- Sustainable Energy Statement
- Energy Cooperation Roadmap till 2030
- Focus:
- Stable energy supply chains
- Renewable energy
- Fair and inclusive energy transition
6. India’s Strategic Engagement at SCO 2025
Three-Pillar Framework
1. Security Pillar
- Zero tolerance to terrorism
- No double standards
- Accountability for cross-border terrorism
- Cooperation on terror financing & radicalisation
2. Connectivity Pillar
- Support for:
- Chabahar Port
- International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)
- Emphasis on trust-based connectivity
3. Opportunity Pillar
- Focus on:
- Start-ups & innovation
- Youth empowerment
- Shared heritage
- Proposal:
- Civilizational Dialogue Forum
Assessment:
- Reflects India’s strategic autonomy and balanced multilateral diplomacy.
7. Global Significance of SCO Summit 2025
A. Leadership of the Global South
- Advocacy for:
- UN Security Council reform
- Reform of global financial institutions
- Inclusive global governance
- China proposed Global Governance Initiative (GGI)
B. RIC (Russia–India–China) Dynamics
- Renewed coordination on global issues
- India–China bilateral meeting after 7 years → Diplomatic thaw
- SCO acts as a conflict-management platform among major powers
8. Challenges & Limitations of SCO
- Internal contradictions:
- Border disputes
- Bilateral tensions
- Divergent connectivity visions
- Economic asymmetry:
- China’s dominant trade position
- Structural issue:
- Consensus-based decision-making → Diluted outcomes
9. SCO and the Emerging Multipolar World
- SCO offers:
- Alternative institutional frameworks
- Non-interference-based cooperation model
- South–South cooperation platform
- Growing relevance due to:
- Decline of unipolar world order
- Shift of power towards Eurasia
10. Future SCO Summits
- 2026: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
- 2027:Islamabad, Pakistan
- Announced by PM Shehbaz Sharif