After 24 years since its founding, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) returns to China for its 2025 summit in Tianjin on August 31–September 1. Delegations from across member states will gather to renew the spirit that launched a regional forum into a global force.
At its heart is the Shanghai Spirit: mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for civilizational diversity and pursuit of common development. A recent report calls the SCO “a lighthouse in a turbulent sea,” with most respondents viewing the bloc as a positive global actor.
The 2025 summit agenda includes approving a 10-year development strategy and endorsing measures to boost security, economic ties and cultural cooperation. Leaders aim to translate the SCO’s core values into concrete projects—from cross-border infrastructure to digital partnerships.
The Chinese mainland, with its geographic and economic scope, has provided key funding but never seeks to own the SCO. Instead, it embodies the Shanghai Spirit by driving consensus and safeguarding the bloc’s shared priorities.
As the world faces shifting alliances and complex challenges, the 2025 SCO Summit in Tianjin will test whether the Shanghai Spirit can remain alive and well—guiding member states toward solidarity and shared growth in the decades ahead.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
