Heads of Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Maldives, and Pakistan will also attend the parade that will take place soon after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 to be held in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1.
While Putin is staying back, it appears that Indian Prime Minister Modi will skip the parade show that China uses to publicise its victory over “Japanese aggression”.
PM Modi will meet his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba for the first time since Ishiba came to power in October 2024, before heading for the SCO summit in China on August 31 — his first visit in the last seven years.
In Tianjin, Modi’s meeting with the Chinese President is one of the most closely watched events at the summit. The two leaders are meeting almost a year after tensions between India and China began to thaw, ahead of their October 2024 meeting in Kazan, Russia.
Since then, bilateral ties between the two powerful Asian countries have improved, and border tensions have eased to a certain extent. Both now find a common enemy in the US, which has imposed steep trade restrictions, while they are strengthening ties with Russia. A 50% tax on Indian exports to the US, including a 25% penalty for purchasing Russian oil, came into effect on Wednesday (August 27).
Trilateral talks between Russia, China, and India are expected to take place soon.
The upcoming SCO summit, analysts have said, is more about optics to portray a new world order without the US than substance.
“Xi will want to use the summit as an opportunity to showcase what a post-American-led international order begins to look like and that all White House efforts since January to counter China, Iran, Russia, and now India have not had the intended effect,” Eric Olander, editor-in-chief of The China-Global South Project, told Reuters.
The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus, and 16 other countries affiliated as observers or “dialogue partners”.
Also Read: China confirms PM Modi’s visit for SCO summit from Aug 31 to Sept 2
