• Xi calls for creation of new SCO bank to break dependence on dollar
• Putin urges shift from ‘Euro-centric’ security model
• Tianjin Declaration condemns terror attacks in Pakistan; reaffirms commitment to fight separatism and extremism
ISLAMABAD: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday pressed his vision for a new global security and economic order that prioritises the “Global South”, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called on[1] leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation[2] (SCO) to initiate a structured process to resolve longstanding disputes[3] in South Asia.
“Global governance has reached a new crossroads,” said President Xi, adding that member states “must continue to take a clear stand against hegemonism and power politics, and practise true multilateralism” — a thinly veiled swipe at the US.
The summit brought together more than 20 world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Indian PM Narendra Modi, in the Chinese port city of Tianjin.
In an image designed to convey a mood of solidarity, Putin and Modi were shown holding hands as they walked jovially towards Xi before the summit opened. The three men stood shoulder-to-shoulder, laughing and surrounded by interpreters.
“It’s hard to tell if the scene was choreographed or improvised, but it doesn’t really matter,” wrote Eric Olander, editor-in-chief of The China-Global South Project, a research agency.
Putin, whose country has forged even closer economic and security ties with China amid the fallout from the Ukraine war, said the SCO had revived “genuine multilateralism”, with national currencies increasingly used in mutual settlements.
“This, in turn, lays the political and socio-economic groundwork for the formation of a new system of stability and security in Eurasia,” Putin said.
“This security system, unlike Euro-centric and Euro-Atlantic models, would genuinely consider the interests of a broad range of countries, be truly balanced, and would not allow one country to ensure its own security at the expense of others.”
Xi also called for the creation of a new SCO development bank, in what would be a major step towards the bloc’s long-held aspiration of developing an alternative payment system that circumvents the US dollar and the power of its sanctions.
Call for S. Asia dialogue
Addressing the 25th SCO Heads of States Council meeting, PM Shehbaz also made Pakistan’s case for normal and stable relations with its neighbours, advocating dialogue over confrontation.
“Pakistan has always believed in the power of multilateralism, dialogue and diplomacy, and shunning unilateralism,” he said, expressing disappointment over the region’s extremely disturbing development in the last few months.
Highlighting Pakistan’s support for multilateralism, the prime minister said the SCO remained a platform that best represents Pakistan’s abiding commitment to regional cooperation and integration.
On regional security, the prime minister reiterated Pakistan’s condemnation of terrorism in all its forms, including what he termed “state terrorism,” while recalling the country’s immense sacrifices in the fight against extremism.
“We have lost over 90,000 lives and endured economic losses exceeding $152 billion — a sacrifice unparalleled in history,” he said, adding that foreign elements were involved in recent terror incidents in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“We condemn terrorism in all its forms… Those who have long used terrorism for advancing their political interest must know that the world no longer buys this narrative. We had irrefutable evidence of the involvement of some foreign hands in the devastating Jaffar Express train hostage incident as well as countless other terrorist attacks against us in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the PM remarked.
The prime minister also strongly condemned Israel’s unjustified aggression against Iran, a fellow SCO member, and called for an immediate end to the bloodshed in Gaza. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the two-state solution with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of Palestine.
He said Pakistan supports a peaceful and stable Afghanistan for the benefit of the entire region, expressing that hope that trilateral cooperation between Pakistan, China and Afghanistan would yield positive results. Addressing the challenge of climate-induced disasters, the prime minister spoke about the devastating floods currently affecting Pakistan due to torrential rains, which have caused massive human and economic losses. He thanked the international community, particularly China, for their solidarity and assistance.
Tianjin Declaration
The summit adopted the Tianjin Declaration, which notably stated: “Member states strongly condemned the terrorist attack[4] in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025. Member states also strongly condemned the terrorist attacks on Jaffar Express[5] on March 11 and in Khuzdar on May 21, 2025.”
The SCO leaders expressed their “deepest sympathy and condolences” to the families of the dead and the wounded, saying that the perpetrators, organisers and sponsors of such attacks must be brought to justice.
“The member states, while reaffirming their firm commitment to the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism, stress the inadmissibility of attempts to use terrorist, separatist and extremist groups for mercenary purposes.
They recognise the leading role of sovereign states and their competent authorities in countering terrorist and extremist threats,” the declaration said.
It added that the SCO members were committed to ensuring sustainable international peace and called for joint efforts to counter traditional and new security challenges and threats.
It said that they reaffirmed their determination to continue the joint fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism, as well as against the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors, arms smuggling and other forms of transnational organised crime.
Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2025
References
- ^ called on (www.dawn.com)
- ^ Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (www.dawn.com)
- ^ longstanding disputes (www.dawn.com)
- ^ terrorist attack (www.dawn.com)
- ^ Jaffar Express (www.dawn.com)