In 2025, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conducted its yearly Heads of State Summit in Tianjin, China

Main Takeaways

Regional Conflicts and Non-Proliferation: Dismissed double standards in counterterrorism and stressed the importance of hindering terrorists' cross-border movement.

Denounced the terrorist assault in Pahalgam (J&K).

Condemned military operations by Israel and the U.S. against Iran, emphasizing tensions in West Asia.

Sustainable Development & Social Agenda: Supported equal rights for every nation in AI advancement and application, opposing technological monopolies.

Supported India's worldwide perspective of "One Earth, One Family, One Future" as a foundation for inclusive development.

China's Initiative for SCO Institutional Growth: SCO members can utilize the BeiDou satellite system (China’s alternative to GPS).

China committed $1.4 billion in loans to SCO members over a span of 3 years.

Suggested establishing an SCO Development Bank to finance infrastructure and development initiatives.

UN Reform: Advocated for modifying the UN framework to align with contemporary conditions, especially by increasing the representation of developing nations in decision-making entities.

SCO Plus Format: China presided over the SCO+ Summit, which comprised member nations, observers, dialogue partners, distinguished guests, and leaders of significant international organizations, indicating a broader function for SCO in worldwide governance.

India’s Stance at the Summit

The Prime Minister of India highlighted that the SCO is founded on three main pillars:

Safety: Guaranteeing local stability and collaboration in combating terrorism.

Connectivity: Turning SCO into a center for interregional connectivity (digital, physical, and energy).

Chance: Fostering shared development and collaboration.

Concerning the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

Establishment: 2001 (Shanghai Summit) by Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan.

Membership: 10 member nations, 2 observers, 15 dialogue partners (Laos being the most recent addition)

Languages of Official Status: Russian, Chinese

Structure:

Council of State Leaders – highest authority for decision-making

Council of Government Leaders – second-ranking entity

Main Office: Beijing, China

Permanent Entities: Secretariat located in Beijing, China & Regional Anti-Terrorism Organization (RATS) situated in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Obstacles in the Future

India–Pakistan rivalry weakens agreement.

China's supremacy might overshadow Indian concerns.

Harmonizing SCO obligations with QUAD, I2U2, and Indo-Pacific alliances.

Doubt regarding the practicality of SCO Development Bank in comparison to BRICS Bank (NDB) and AIIB.

Path Ahead

India should utilize the SCO as a regional security framework, particularly for combating terrorism.

Advocate for collaborations on digital public infrastructure (DPI) in the SCO to challenge China's BeiDou narrative.

Harmonize multilateral partnerships by involving SCO while preserving Indo-Pacific strategies.

Leverage the SCO to enhance connections with Iran, Russia, and Central Asia, opposing the China-Pakistan alliance.