Diplomacy. Putin and Kim Jong Un make the trip: China is counting on a summit to assert itself

According to Beijing, another model of global governance is possible, and Xi Jinping intends to demonstrate it. The Chinese president is bringing together the leaders of Russia, India, Iran, and Turkey, along with another twenty Eurasian leaders, this Sunday with great fanfare.

This is the first time the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has met since Donald Trump 's return to the White House. Heads of state and government, along with officials from a dozen international and regional organizations, have been flocking to Tianjin since Saturday. This port megacity, once ruled by Western, Japanese, and Russian concessions, is today a symbol of economic vitality.

A meeting under high surveillance

Russia's Vladimir Putin arrived this Sunday morning, discreetly, albeit at the head of a large political and economic delegation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed on Saturday for his first visit to China since 2018, a sign of the effort to bring the two Asian giants closer together.

The summit is under heavy police and military surveillance. Armored vehicles have been deployed on some streets. Traffic has been halted in large sections of Tianjin. Posters in Mandarin and Russian extol the "spirit of Tianjin" and Sino-Russian "mutual trust."

The summit, described as the most important since the creation of the SCO in 2001, takes place in a context of multiple crises directly affecting its members: trade confrontation between the United States and China and India, war in Ukraine , Iranian nuclear dispute...

Image war

The SCO comprises 10 member states and 16 observer or partner countries and represents almost half of the world's population and 23.5% of the planet's GDP. It is often presented as a counterweight to NATO. Relations between some members are delicate. Rather than uncertain tangible results, experts urge attention to the image effect.

The summit proposes "a multilateral order modulated by China and distinct from those dominated by the West," predicts Dylan Loh, a professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. "The broad participation testifies to China's growing influence and the attraction of the SCO to non-Western countries," he says.

The fate of Ukraine will be discussed

The summit also opens a sequence during which China intends to showcase its diplomatic influence, but also its military power, while presenting itself as a pole of stability in a fractured world. Vladimir Putin and a number of other participants will witness their host's demonstration of his military capabilities on Wednesday, thanks to a grandiose parade in Beijing celebrating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the victory over Japan.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will make a rare trip outside his reclusive country to meet with Xi Jinping in neighboring and ally China. North Korea has become one of Russia's key allies in its war against Ukraine.

Just over two weeks after being received by Donald Trump in Alaska, Vladimir Putin will hold talks with his host and key Chinese ally, scheduled for Tuesday in Beijing. Many of kyiv's allies suspect Beijing of supporting Moscow against Ukraine. China claims neutrality and accuses Western countries of prolonging hostilities by arming Ukraine.