Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are scheduled to meet in Uzbekistan on Friday in SCO Summit. The two will be attending the 22nd SCO summit along with other SCO members and observers.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also scheduled to attend both days of the summit. Currently, India and China’s relationship is under pressure due to border conflicts and the disengagement of Ladakh’s Hot Springs region.
The 22nd edition of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit will take place in Uzbekistan’s Samarkand on September 15 and 16. The member and observer states of the SCO meet once every year.
Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the summit in Moscow (Russia) in 2020 was conducted virtually, while the summit in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) in 2021 was held in “hybrid mode”.
The summit will be closely monitored as it is the first SCO summit to take place in person since 2019 with the potential for side-by-side bilateral discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
SCO was formed in 2001 and has its headquarters in Beijing, China. The eight-member SCO consists of China, Russia, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Pakistan.
While observer states include Iran and Afghanistan, The SCO is headed by China and Russia and is seen as a challenge to the world order led by the west.
Importance of the SCO Summit 2022
The 2022 summit is taking place during a crucial time at the international level, with China and Russia on one side and the west on another.
President Xi will be traveling abroad for the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak began. Xi Jinping has not left China since his visit to Myanmar back in January 2020.
On Wednesday, he started his trip abroad with a stop in Kazakhstan ahead of a summit.
Xi’s visit will overlap with that of the Pope, who is on a state visit and an interfaith meeting of world religious leaders in Kazakhstan until Thursday.
The Vatican City and China have a complicated relationship as the Vatican is the last European state to maintain ties with Taiwan, a self-ruling island that China claims as part of its territory.
As the governing Communist Party advances its strategic objectives amid conflict with India, the US, Australia, and Japan, Xi’s tour highlights the significance Beijing places on relations with Russia and Central Asia.
Beijing’s escalating foreign policy prompted the formation of the Quad by Washington, Japan, Australia, and India, which in turn spurred the Chinese leader to declare a “Global Security Initiative” in April.
Xi’s high-profile visit will occur just one month before the crucial Communist Party of China (CPC) congress when he is anticipated to win a record-breaking third term as China’s leader.
Experts predict that, as a result, he will become the most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.
Russia and China
The bilateral meeting scheduled between Xi and Putin will be the first in-person meeting since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is expected to be a display of strength and cooperation between China and Russia against the West.
The two leaders last met in person at the Beijing Olympics in February. The show of cooperation will come at a critical time when both nations are engaged in conflict with the West and their neighbors.
The Russian Federation is heavily sanctioned by the west due to its invasion of Ukraine, while the recent visit by US speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan has increased tensions between China and the US.
Before the Beijing Olympics began, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin proclaimed a “no limits” friendship between China and Russia.
This “no limits” friendship has been put to the test after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where China withstood western pressure to take a stand against Russia.
During the SCO meeting, Putin will also meet with PM Modi to discuss Russian-Indian cooperation in the UN and G20. India has held back on criticizing Russia over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
This is especially crucial because India will lead the UN Security Council in December, chair the G20 and lead the SCO in 2024.
The SCO summit will be an important event for the countries involved as well as the International community, to show cooperation in face of the turmoil the world is facing.
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