Xi urges SCO members to pursue joint development, offers billions in loans and grants
In his keynote speech at a record-sized summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Chinese President Xi Jinping also renewed a call for multilateralism.
Journalists at the media centre listen to Chinese President Xi Jinping delivering a speech at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, Sep 1, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Hu Chushi)
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
TIANJIN: Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to better align their development strategies, so that projects can be planned and built - and the benefits reaped jointly.
In a speech on Monday (Sep 1) at the SCO summit in Tianjin, Xi also urged member states to promote the “high-quality implementation” of the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s flagship global infrastructure and connectivity project.
These will strengthen the momentum of regional development and improve the well-being of the people, Xi said.
The Chinese supremo also urged the China-led regional bloc to embrace openness and inclusivity, while renewing a call for multilateralism.
“We must promote a correct historical perspective on World War II, and oppose the Cold War mentality, bloc confrontation and bullying practices,” Xi said.
He added that the bloc should advocate for an equal and orderly multipolar world, and make the global governance system more just and equitable.
Held from Aug 31 to Sep 1, the summit in the northern port city of Tianjin brought together more than 20 heads of state and 10 chiefs of international organisations.
Xi hosted a high-profile guest list that included Russian President Vladimir Putin and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Southeast Asian representation included Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, along with leaders from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto was set to attend the SCO summit as well as China’s Sep 3 World War II parade, but cancelled his China visit at the 11th hour amid worsening nationwide protests over lawmakers’ pay.
In his speech on Monday, Xi laid out a five-point proposal for the bloc’s future - urging members to “uphold unity in diversity”, “pursue mutual benefit and win-win cooperation”, “remain open and inclusive”, “uphold fairness and justice” and “promote practical and efficient cooperation”.
“We should strengthen trade and investment facilitation, expand cooperation in energy, green industries, digital economy and artificial intelligence, and together move toward modernisation,” Xi told the gathering.
The Chinese leader also stressed that the SCO must shoulder the “shared responsibility of promoting regional peace, stability and prosperity”, while deepening coordination against security threats, including terrorism and narcotics.
He announced new Chinese initiatives, including 100 “small but smart” livelihood projects and an additional 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) in development loans, as part of efforts to cement the SCO’s role as a platform for cooperation.
Xi also pledged two billion yuan in grant assistance to SCO member states this year, alongside investment pledges.
Starting next year, China will double the number of SCO scholarships, part of what Xi called efforts to “cultivate innovative talent” and deepen people-to-people ties.
Xi is set to deliver another address on Monday afternoon in a wider session that will include SCO leaders and their dialogue partners, as well as observers and invited guests.
Established in 2001, the SCO has expanded to 10 full members - China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran and newest entrant Belarus - along with two observer states and 14 dialogue partners, including Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.
Together, they span nearly half the world’s population, a quarter of its landmass and around a quarter of global GDP. The bloc’s remit has enlarged from security and counter-terrorism to economic and military cooperation.
Leaders are expected to sign a series of agreements on economic coordination and security cooperation before the close of the summit.
China last hosted the SCO summit in 2018, at the height of the trade war with the US during President Donald Trump's first term in the White House.
Analysts have said the message Beijing hopes to project at the Tianjin summit is one of clout, influence and convening power in a turbulent global climate, although they warned internal divisions could blunt those ambitions.
China’s hosting of the SCO summit comes just days before it stages a massive military parade in Beijing to mark 80 years since the end of World War II.
Many of the foreign leaders and delegations at the summit are set to stay on and travel to the Chinese capital for the parade, which will showcase cutting-edge equipment such as fighter jets, missile defence systems and hypersonic weapons.
