Xi hosts Putin, Modi and other global leaders at SCO summit: As it happened

Putin has arrived in Beijing for the next stage of his four-day visit to China after attending the SCO summit in Tianjin, according to Russian media reports.

A video posted on Telegram by journalist Pavel Zarubin shows the presidential convoy at night, featuring shots from the highway and scenes of the motorcade passing Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in the early hours.

Putin’s schedule in Beijing is expected to include a trilateral meeting with the presidents of China and Mongolia, as well with several other global leaders. On Wednesday, he will serve as the guest of honor at commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s defeat and the end of World War II.

Putin has held talks with Nepalese Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli on the sidelines of the SCO summit.

The Russian president highlighted that since establishing diplomatic relations in the 1950s, the two countries have have not “had any problems,” and shared positions on most international matters.

During the meeting, Sharma Oli invited Putin to visit Nepal, an invitation the Russian president reciprocated.

Putin has met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during the SCO summit in Tianjin, China.

”I want to stress the… special nature of our multi-faceted Russian-Iranian ties,” the Russian president said.

He noted that bilateral trade between the two countries is on the rise, as is humanitarian cooperation, including student exchange programs and tourism.

Putin discussed the Ukraine conflict with the Chinese and Indian leaders on the sidelines of the SCO summit on Monday, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov has said.

Ushakov dismissed media reports suggesting that Putin and Trump had already agreed to hold a trilateral summit with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, noting that Russia and the US are still considering various options.

Putin met Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the SCO summit, saying the two countries had a “broad agenda” for practical cooperation. The meeting was dedicated to expanding ties.

All SCO leaders have backed Xi Jinping’s new global governance initiative, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said. Xi unveiled the principles at an SCO+ session, stressing the need to uphold international law, defend multilateralism, reject double standards and ensure equal participation by all countries, regardless of size or power.

The summit has drawn wide attention from global media, with Vladimir Putin’s presence in the spotlight.

Bloomberg has noted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strengthened ties with China and Russia, defying US influence.

Reuters has reported that Putin and his Chinese counterpart shared a joint vision for a restructured global order.

The Financial Times has described the summit as “model-setting,” saying Xi has used it to showcase China’s ambition to reshape the global order.

The Associated Press, meanwhile, has focused on the SCO leaders’ declaration, particularly the creation of a Development Bank, while also highlighting Putin’s talks with both Modi and Xi.

Traditional values should be placed back on the international agenda, Putin told an SCO+ meeting, as he invited participants to Moscow’s Intervision Song Contest on September 20. He said the competition is aimed at promoting “universal cultural and spiritual values,” adding that artists from a range of countries have already confirmed their participation. Intervision is presented as an alternative to Eurovision, providing a platform for global participation after Russia was banned from the European event in 2022.

More countries are seeking cooperation with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, President Vladimir Putin said, adding that global interest in the bloc’s work “continues to grow.” “An increasing number of states are striving for open and equal dialogue with our organization,” he told an SCO+ meeting. This year’s summit in Tianjin is the largest in the group’s history, bringing together more than 20 foreign leaders and representatives of international organizations.

Addressing the SCO+ meeting, Xi also proposed a new global governance initiative, saying it followed his earlier initiatives related to global development, global security and global civilization. He said China is ready to work with all countries to build a “fairer and more equitable system of global governance” and move toward a community with a shared future for humanity.