Overview
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tianjin, China, on August 31, 2025, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, joined by around 20 world leaders. The event aims to strengthen regional ties and counter Western influence.
What Happened
Putin landed in Tianjin at approximately 9:30 a.m. local time (0130 GMT) on August 31, 2025, greeted with a red-carpet welcome by city officials. The SCO summit, held in the port city until September 1, precedes a military parade in Beijing marking 80 years since the end of World War II. The SCO includes China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, with 16 additional countries as observers or dialogue partners. Leaders, including India’s Narendra Modi and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are attending, with bilateral meetings planned, such as Putin’s discussions with Erdogan and Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian on Ukraine and Tehran’s nuclear program.
Reasons Cited
The summit seeks to bolster the SCO’s influence as a platform for non-Western countries, promoting a multipolar world order. Putin, in a Xinhua interview, stated the event will “strengthen the SCO’s capacity to respond to contemporary challenges and threats.” China and Russia position the SCO as an alternative to NATO, aiming to counter U.S. and European influence amid tensions over Ukraine and Taiwan.
Expert and Official Responses
Dylan Loh, assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University, noted, “China has long sought to present the SCO as a non-Western-led power bloc that promotes a new type of international relations.” Lizzi Lee from the Asia Society Policy Institute said Beijing uses the SCO to “project influence and signal that Eurasia has its own institutions.” Lim Tai Wei, an East Asia expert at Soka University, stated, “Putin needs the SCO’s benefits as a global player and China’s economic support.” Russian state media emphasized the summit’s role in consolidating Eurasian solidarity.
Context
The SCO summit, the largest since its founding in 2001, reflects China’s growing global influence. It follows recent U.S. tariffs on India for Russian oil purchases, prompting Russia to seek stronger ties with India. The event occurs amid global tensions, with posts on X highlighting the summit as a “power move” by China to position itself at the center of an alternative world order.
Sources
- RTE.ie, August 31, 2025, on Putin’s arrival and summit details. [](https://www.suncommercial.com/banner_graphic/news/national/article_095587e2-81ba-59fb-9aed-8f4db086f93b.html)
- Reuters, August 31, 2025, on diplomatic significance and red-carpet welcome. [](https://www.reuters.com/world/china/russias-putin-arrives-chinas-tianjin-security-summit-2025-08-31/)
- The Straits Times, August 31, 2025, on SCO as a NATO alternative and expert insights. [](https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/putin-lands-in-tianjin-for-summit-hosted-by-china)
- X Post by @MarioNawfal, August 31, 2025, on China’s strategic hosting.
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