SCO summit highlights China’s quiet ascent in global diplomacy

The Diplomat’s coverage of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin underscores a pivotal development in global geopolitics: China’s growing ability to shape Eurasian diplomacy through quiet, consensus-driven strategies. From August 31 to September 1, more than 20 foreign leaders and heads of 10 international organizations gathered in the Chinese port city, demonstrating Beijing’s skill in convening diverse powers—even amid longstanding regional tensions.

Founded in 2001 as the “Shanghai Five” to stabilise post-Soviet borders in Central Asia, the SCO now counts Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan among its full members. With partner states included, the organization represents 40 percent of the world’s population and roughly 30 percent of global GDP. Despite its size, the SCO has often been dismissed as a “talk shop” due to its consensus-based decision-making, which can slow action on critical issues. Yet the Tianjin summit demonstrated that even in a complex geopolitical environment—marked by a recent India-Pakistan skirmish over Kashmir—the SCO can produce compromises. The “Tianjin Declaration” condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack, with both New Delhi and Islamabad endorsing it, signaling the organization’s ability to navigate sensitive conflicts without public discord.

The summit also showcased China’s ambition to extend the SCO beyond security coordination. Xi Jinping announced plans for a SCO Development Bank, pledging $1.4 billion in loans over the next three years. Infrastructure projects, such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway linking Central Asia to Europe through the “Middle Corridor,” were highlighted. Laos’s elevation to SCO partner further expands Beijing’s influence into Southeast Asia. These moves illustrate how China is leveraging the SCO as a vehicle for economic, diplomatic, and strategic leadership.

A key theme emphasized by the Diplomat is the SCO as an alternative to Western-dominated structures. Former SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov noted that the organization provides “an economic and diplomatic umbrella to reduce exposure to Western economic pressure,” particularly relevant given U.S. protectionist policies under President Trump. While Washington’s unilateral tariffs strained relations with India, the SCO offered a framework for regional coordination and economic resilience.

The article also stresses the SCO’s quiet diplomacy, contrasting it with the high-profile, transactional approach of the U.S. Trump administration. Leaders such as Modi and Putin used the summit for bilateral discussions on pressing global issues, including Ukraine. These interactions underscore the SCO’s dual function: facilitating both collective multilateral agreements and private, behind-the-scenes diplomacy.

Ultimately, the Diplomat frames the SCO as a lens into China’s long-term strategic approach: patient, flexible, and focused on building influence without provoking overt confrontation. The absence of U.S. or EU engagement underscores a missed opportunity for the West to shape Eurasian norms. While the SCO is far from monolithic, it illustrates Beijing’s capacity to position itself as a central node in global governance, quietly redefining the strategic architecture of Eurasia.

By Vugar Khalilov