Leaders of China, Russia and India are among heads of state meeting to
counter US influence
[August 31, 2026]
By YURAS KARMANAU
The leaders of China, Russia and India are among the heads of state
gathering in Kyrgyzstan this week for the summit of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization, a group billed as a counterweight to U.S.
global influence.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to attend the events
in Bishkek, the capital of the Central Asian nation.
Multiple one-on-one meetings are scheduled on the sidelines, including
one between Putin and Xi on Monday, as well as talks between the Russian
leader and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday, the day of
the official SCO sessions.
Russia, now 4½ years into its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Iran,
six months into a war with the United States and Israel, see the summit
as an important platform to strengthen their relations with non-Western
partners.
The SCO was founded in 2001 by China, Russia and four Central Asian
states as a security forum. Over the past quarter-century, it has grown
in size and influence, although its goals and programs remain vague and
its brand recognition low.
It now includes 10 nations: Russia, China, India, Iran, Pakistan,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Many other
countries have the status of “dialogue partners."
Along with Russia, China has presented the SCO as an alternative to
Western-aligned organizations like the G7, and in recent years has
wanted to expand the scope and influence of the organization, pledging
development and financial assistance.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said last week that the organization
has successfully “explored a new path for regional cooperation.” Beijing
has consistently promoted the idea of an alternative world order with
Russia’s support.
Summit attendees have significant disagreements
For many SCO members, the summit will be an opportunity to show that
they maintain strong ties on the global stage despite souring relations
with the West.
The organization is not a unified political or military bloc, however,
and analysts note that its members have significant disagreements and
their own distinct interests.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, gestures while speaking to
Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Sept. 16, 2022.
(Sergei Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
For countries such as India, however, experts say the summit is
likely to be more about optics and strategic signaling than
substantive outcomes.
The forum is heavily influenced by China and includes Pakistan as a
member — both of which are rivals for India.
Dinakar Peri, a fellow in security studies at Carnegie India, said
the SCO gives India a seat at the table in a region increasingly
shaped by competition among the larger powers, allowing it to
protect its interests, track shifting geopolitical currents and
project itself as a reliable stakeholder.
“While it may not entirely shape the agenda, it gives New Delhi a
first-hand view of the region and allows it to hedge its position
with others,” Peri said.
Turkey, which holds partner status within the SCO, also seeks to use
the platform to strengthen its position in the region.
It views SCO membership as part of a balanced foreign policy that
seeks to maintain its traditional ties with the West as a part of
NATO, while strengthening its influence in Eurasia.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who brought his country into the SCO
as a “dialogue partner” in 2012, has repeatedly stated that he wants
Turkey to become a permanent member. While Turkey has close trade
ties with the European Union under a 1995 trade deal, its EU
membership bid has stalled for more than 25 years.
___
Andrew Wilks in Istanbul, Turkey, Huizhong Wu in Bangkok, and Aijaz
Hussain in New Delhi contributed.
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