China is hosting the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, the bloc's largest gathering since its 2001 founding, with more than 20 leaders attending, including Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi and Masoud Pezeshkian. The SCO comprises ten member states and has another 16 observers and dialogue partners, representing about 40% of the global population and roughly 30% of global economic output. The bloc is sometimes positioned as a counterweight to Western-led security structures like NATO. China aims to host a "summit of friendship, unity and fruitful results." Iran joined the SCO and BRICS in 2023 to deepen ties with Russia and China while also seeking rapprochement with regional rivals.
China is hosting the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Sunday and Monday, in what is already hailed as the bloc's largest meeting since the SCO was founded in 2001. More than 20 leaders including Russian leader Vladimir Putin, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian will attend the gathering. The SCO now comprises 10 member states: China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.
Another 16 countries are affiliated as observers or "dialogue partners." It claims to represent 40% of the world's population and about 30% of its economic output. The bloc is sometimes touted as a counter to the Western-dominated NATO military alliance. Beijing aims to host a "summit of friendship, unity and fruitful results," according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Rapprochement with Russia and China Iran became an SCO member in 2023.
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