2025 SCO Summit Meeting

The 2025 SCO Summit was held in Tianjin on August 31–September 1, chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping, with over 20 foreign leaders and 10 heads of international organizations in attendance, marking the largest gathering in the SCO’s history.

  Main outcomes

- Leaders adopted the Tianjin Declaration and endorsed a new 10-year development strategy (2026–2035), and issued statements on the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII and the founding of the UN, as well as on supporting the multilateral trading system. A total of 24 outcome documents covered security, economic, people-to-people, and institutional cooperation.

Security cooperation

- Emphasized the principles of non-alignment, non-confrontation, and not targeting third parties. Called for coordinated responses to various threats and challenges, and highlighted the role of the newly established Comprehensive Center for Countering Security Threats and Challenges and the Anti-Drug Center.

Economic and connectivity

- Pledged to deepen integration and enhance trade and investment facilitation. Noted progress in the Belt and Road Initiative, with China’s cumulative trade with other SCO countries exceeding $2.3 trillion; international road routes of nearly 14,000 km and over 110,000 China-Europe freight train trips.

- China proposed to establish three cooperation platforms in energy, green industry, and digital economy, and three centers in science and technology innovation, higher education, and vocational education. It also proposed joint projects of “10 million kW of photovoltaic” and “10 million kW of wind power” over the next five years.

People-to-people and cultural exchanges

- Called for strengthening exchanges in localities, media, think tanks, women, and youth. China announced a package of initiatives, including doubling the SCO special scholarship quota from 2026, launching a doctoral innovation training program, building 10 “Luban Workshops,” and providing 10,000 training places over five years.

Global governance and multilateralism

- Advocated a global governance initiative based on sovereign equality, compliance with international law, multilateralism, a people-centered approach, and action orientation. Called for safeguarding the international order based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and supporting the WTO-centered multilateral trading system.

- China proposed that the SCO play a leading role in global governance, uphold justice, oppose hegemony and power politics, and strengthen cooperation with the UN, ASEAN, EAEU, CICA, etc.

China’s new initiatives (highlights)

- 100 “small and beautiful” livelihood projects in SCO countries; RMB 2 billion in grant aid in 2025; an additional RMB 10 billion in loans to the SCO bank consortium over three years; doubling the SCO special scholarship quota from 2026; 10 “Luban Workshops” and 10,000 training places over five years.

- Three cooperation platforms (energy, green industry, digital economy) and three centers (science and technology innovation, higher education, vocational education); joint “10 million kW PV” and “10 million kW wind power” projects over five years; AI application cooperation center; and inviting participation in the International Lunar Research Station.

Meeting format

- The summit included a Heads of State Council meeting, a welcome banquet, and a “SCO+” meeting. President Xi delivered keynote speeches at both sessions, and a series of bilateral meetings were held on the sidelines.