Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2025, Tianjin

General Studies Paper-2

Context: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held its annual Heads of State Summit in Tianjin, China, in 2025.

• The summit deliberated on pressing regional and global challenges—terrorism, conflicts, UN reforms, AI governance, sustainable development, and institutional strengthening.

Key Highlights

• Regional Conflicts and Non-Proliferation: Rejected double standards in counterterrorism and emphasized preventing cross-border movement of terrorists.
  • Condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam (J&K).
  • Criticized military strikes by Israel and the U.S. on Iran, highlighting West–Asia tensions.
• Sustainable Development & Social Agenda: Backed equal rights for all nations in AI development and usage, countering technological monopolies.
  • Endorsed India’s global vision of “One Earth, One Family, One Future” as a principle for inclusive growth.
• China’s Push for SCO Institutional Expansion: SCO members are permitted to use BeiDou satellite system (China’s GPS alternative).
  • China pledged $1.4 billion in loans over 3 years to SCO members.
  • Proposed the creation of an SCO Development Bank to fund infrastructure and development projects.
• UN Reform: Called for adapting the UN system to modern realities, particularly by expanding the representation of developing countries in governing bodies.
• SCO Plus Format: China chaired the SCO+ Summit, which included member states, observers, dialogue partners, honored guests, and heads of major international organisations, signaling an expanded role for SCO in global governance.

India’s Position at the Summit

• PM of India emphasized that the SCO rests on three pillars:
  • Security: Ensuring regional peace and counterterrorism cooperation.
  • Connectivity: Transforming SCO into a hub for cross-regional connectivity (digital, physical, and energy).
  • Opportunity: Promoting mutual growth and cooperation.

About Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

• Formation: 2001 (Shanghai Summit) by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
• Membership: 10 member states, 2 observers, 15 dialogue partners (Laos latest entrant)
• Official Languages: Russian, Chinese
• Structure:
  • Council of Heads of State – apex decision-making body
  • Council of Heads of Government – second-highest body
• Headquarters: Beijing, China
• Permanent Bodies: Secretariat in Beijing, China & Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Challenges Ahead

• India–Pakistan rivalry dilutes consensus.
• China’s dominance may marginalize Indian interests.
• Balancing SCO commitments with QUAD, I2U2, and Indo-Pacific partnerships.
• Skepticism on feasibility of SCO Development Bank vis-à-vis BRICS Bank (NDB) and AIIB.

Way Forward

• India must leverage SCO as a regional security platform, especially for counterterrorism.
• Push for digital public infrastructure (DPI) partnerships within SCO to counter China’s BeiDou narrative.
• Balance multilateral alignments by engaging SCO without undermining Indo-Pacific strategies.
• Use SCO as a forum to strengthen ties with Central Asia, Russia, and Iran, countering the China-Pakistan axis.