• Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined other world leaders Aug. 31 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which the Associated Press described as a group billed as a counterweight to U.S. global influence. Putin met separately with Xi and Modi, while talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian were expected Sept. 1.
  • Founded in 2001 by China, Russia and four Central Asian countries as a security forum, the SCO now includes 10 members: Russia, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. According to the AP, China and Russia have presented the organization as an alternative to Western-aligned groups such as the G7, while Beijing has sought to expand its scope and influence and has promoted the idea of an alternative world order with Russian support.
  • The AP noted that the SCO is not a unified political or military bloc and its members have significant disagreements and distinct interests. India, for example, participates alongside regional rivals China and Pakistan; security analyst Dinakar Peri said the organization gives India a place in a region increasingly shaped by competition among larger powers while allowing New Delhi to protect its interests and “hedge its position with others.”
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