Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): Tianjin Summit 2025, India’s Interests and Challenges

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) grew out of the Shanghai Five of 1996 and now has ten members, including India since 2017, Iran since 2023 and Belarus since 2024, covering about 40 per cent of the world’s population. Its 25th summit at Tianjin on 31 August and 1 September 2025 was the largest yet, adopted a Development Strategy to 2035 and agreed to set up an SCO Development Bank, and produced the first Modi–Xi meeting in China in seven years.

These notes give the facts, the Tianjin outcomes, China’s Global Governance Initiative, why the SCO matters to India, its weaknesses, and a way forward, in the form a BPSC Mains GS Paper II answer on international organisations needs.

Context

• 25th SCO Summit held at Tianjin, China, on 31 August and 1 September 2025.
• Motto: “Promoting the Shanghai Spirit: SCO in Action.”
• Tianjin Declaration adopted.

Important quote: PM Narendra Modi described India’s vision for the SCO through three pillars: Security, Connectivity and Opportunity.

Basic facts about SCO

• A permanent intergovernmental international organisation.
• 1996: Founded as the Shanghai Five, comprising China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
• 2001: Transformed into the SCO with the addition of Uzbekistan.
• Membership expanded with India and Pakistan in 2017, Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.
• SCO members account for approximately:
  • One-third of the world’s territory.
  • 40% of the world’s population.
  • One-fourth of global GDP.

Objectives

• Fight the three evils: terrorism, separatism and extremism.
• Promote regional security and cooperation.
• Encourage common development and economic cooperation.
• Strengthen mutual trust among member states.

Shanghai Spirit: six principles

1. Mutual trust.
2. Mutual benefit.
3. Equality.
4. Respect for cultural diversity.
5. Consultation.
6. Pursuit of common development.

Institutional structure

• Head of States Council (HSC): Highest decision-making body.
• Secretariat: Beijing, China.
• Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS): Tashkent.

Outcomes of the Tianjin Summit

1. The largest SCO summit so far, with leaders of more than 20 countries and the heads of 10 international organisations.
2. SCO Development Strategy for 2026–2035, focused on peace, stability, development and prosperity.
3. Decision to establish an SCO Development Bank to finance infrastructure and development projects.
4. Establishment of four security centres:
   • Centre for countering security challenges and threats.
   • Information Security Centre.
   • Centre for Combating Transnational Organised Crime.
   • Anti-Drug Centre.
5. Joint declaration condemning the Pahalgam terrorist attack, along with the Jaffer Express and Khuzdar terrorist attacks in Pakistan.
6. Support for the multilateral trading system under the WTO.
7. Laos became an SCO Dialogue Partner, and the SCO took observer status at the Commonwealth of Independent States.
8. Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, designated the SCO Tourist and Cultural Capital for 2025–2026.
9. PM Modi proposed a Civilisation Dialogue Forum to strengthen people-to-people ties.
10. Kyrgyzstan received the SCO chairmanship for 2025–2026.

Global Governance Initiative (GGI)

• Proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the SCO+ meeting.
• Presented as China’s latest global initiative.

Five principles

• Sovereign equality.
• Adherence to international rule of law.
• Multilateralism.
• People-centred approach.
• Taking real action.

Priority areas

• Reform of the international financial architecture.
• Artificial intelligence.
• Cyberspace.
• Climate change.
• Trade.
• Outer space.

the initiative also seeks to portray China as a champion of a more just and balanced global governance system.

Significance of SCO for India

1. Connect Central Asia: Provides diplomatic access to Central Asian republics for energy, trade and security cooperation.
2. Strategic autonomy: Enables India to engage China and Russia while protecting its core interests.
3. Geopolitical and economic interests: Advances India’s security and geo-economic objectives.
4. Pan-Asian role: Strengthens India’s position beyond the South Asian regional framework.
5. Counterterrorism: Offers access to intelligence cooperation through RATS.
6. India–Russia cooperation: Provides a platform for closer coordination.
7. Balancing China: Helps India engage in a region where Chinese influence is substantial.
8. India–China dialogue: Offers a platform to discuss bilateral issues.
9. Changing global relations: Becomes more relevant to India amid downturns in India–US relations.
10. Hedging against uncertainty: Diversifies India’s diplomatic options.

Examples of India’s strategic approach include the Chabahar port, the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC), opposition to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and opposition to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.

Challenges facing the SCO

1. Diplomatic contradictions: Rivalries such as India–Pakistan, India–China and China–Russia complicate cooperation.
2. Chinese dominance: Other members may accommodate or quietly resist China’s influence.
3. Limited practical impact: The organisation risks becoming a platform for projecting influence rather than delivering results.
4. Ineffective crisis response: It has struggled to address terrorism, connectivity gaps and Afghanistan-related challenges.
5. Overexpansion: More members may dilute the organisation’s agenda.
6. Weak enforcement: Economic initiatives and development projects progress slowly.
7. Geopolitical rivalry: Conflicts among members weaken collective action.
8. Consensus-based decisions: A single member’s opposition can cause prolonged deadlock.

Way forward

• Strengthen counterterrorism cooperation through RATS and the four proposed security centres.
• Promote connectivity projects that respect national sovereignty, including Chabahar and INSTC.
• Deliver economic outcomes through the proposed SCO Development Bank.
• Reform institutions by strengthening the Secretariat, using smaller working groups and considering majority-based decisions.
• Manage bilateral disputes through confidence-building measures and compartmentalisation of issues.
• Promote a shared multipolar vision acceptable to India, China and Russia.
• Improve cultural relations and soft power through the proposed Civilisation Dialogue Forum.

Conclusion and mains-ready points

Commentators characterised the SCO summit as a snapshot of a changing world rather than a turning point. Its effectiveness depends on moving beyond declarations towards practical cooperation.

A useful concluding argument for a mains answer is that the SCO can become a stronger platform for multipolarity and Global South solidarity if it develops effective institutions, a clear agenda and measurable outcomes.

“Critically examine the aims and objectives of SCO. What importance does it hold for India?” — UPSC CSE 2021.

Frequently asked questions

Which countries are members of the SCO?

Ten: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus. India and Pakistan joined in 2017, Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.

Where are the SCO’s headquarters?

The Secretariat is in Beijing and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is in Tashkent. The Heads of State Council, which meets once a year, is the highest decision-making body.

What were the main outcomes of the Tianjin SCO summit?

The Tianjin Declaration, an SCO Development Strategy to 2035, agreement to establish an SCO Development Bank, four new security centres (including an anti-drug centre and an information-security centre), condemnation of the Pahalgam attack, dialogue-partner status for Laos, and the chairmanship passing to Kyrgyzstan for 2025-26.

Why is the SCO important for India?

It gives India a seat at the table in Central Asia, a platform for counter-terrorism cooperation through RATS, regular contact with Russia and China, and a hedge in a period of strained India–US relations, while India keeps its distance from China’s Belt and Road Initiative and pushes Chabahar and the INSTC instead.

Related pages

• BPSC previous year question papers, 56th to 71st, with answer keys
• BPSC exam pattern and syllabus 2026
• 40 Polity topics for BPSC Mains GS Paper II
• India’s foreign policy: current challenges and priorities
• India–Bhutan relations
• Global indices and reports quiz
• All current affairs notes
• BPSC essay topics, 68th to 71st Mains

Sources

Checked 31 October 2026.

• Ministry of External Affairs: Prime Minister’s remarks at the SCO Summit, Tianjin (1 September 2025)
• SCO Secretariat: Tianjin Declaration and summit documents
• Press Information Bureau coverage of the Tianjin summit