China, Russia and India Leaders Gather at SCO Summit to Counter US Influence

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is presenting a show of unity in Bishkek this week, bringing together the leaders of China, Russia and India as the group seeks to counter US influence. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to attend the summit in Kyrgyzstan’s capital.

The gathering also offers room for diplomacy outside the formal sessions. Putin is due to meet Xi on Monday and hold talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday, when the official SCO meetings take place. Russia, which is more than four years into its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Iran, six months into a war with the United States and Israel, see the summit as a useful venue for building relations with non-Western partners.

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While it may not entirely shape the agenda, it gives New Delhi a first-hand view of the region and allows it to hedge its position with others.

Founded in 2001 by China, Russia and four Central Asian states as a security forum, the SCO now includes 10 countries: Russia, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Other states participate as dialogue partners. China and Russia have increasingly portrayed the organization as an alternative to Western-aligned groups such as the G7. Beijing has also sought to broaden its influence through development and financial assistance.

Yet the organization is not a unified political or military bloc. Its members have competing interests and serious disagreements. India, for example, belongs to a forum heavily influenced by China and also including Pakistan, a regional rival. Dinakar Peri of Carnegie India said the SCO gives New Delhi a place to observe regional shifts, protect its interests and present itself as a reliable stakeholder. “While it may not entirely shape the agenda, it gives New Delhi a first-hand view of the region and allows it to hedge its position with others,” Peri said.

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explored a new path for regional cooperation