Vladimir Putin backs Xi Jinping’s promise for new ‘global governance system’ at Shanghai summit
Xi Jinping has moved to strengthen ties with powerful nations outside the US umbrella once again, taking a massive swipe at Donald Trump in the process.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has moved to strengthen ties with powerful nations outside the US umbrella once again, calling on fellow leaders at a regional summit to harness their “mega-scale market” and create a new global order.
Analysts have long warned about the risks of a strengthened China-Russia partnership, particularly at a time when EU and US relations are strained.
Now, Putin has backed Xi’s push for a new global security and economic order, particularly because he knows their combined strength and cooperation pose a direct threat to US dominance on the world stage.
Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin this week, Xi told more than 20 attending leaders the group offered “a model for a new type of international relations”.
It was a not-so-veiled swipe at the recent market chaos caused by Donald Trump’s highly controversial tariffs that have put pressure on once-iron-clad partnerships with the US and Europe, among several other powerhouse nations.
“We should advocate for equal and orderly multipolarisation of the world, inclusive economic globalisation and promote the construction of a more just and equitable global governance system,” Xi said in his opening remarks.
He also urged the bloc to strengthen co-operation in energy, infrastructure, science, technology and artificial intelligence
“We must take advantage of the mega-scale market … to improve the level of trade and investment facilitation,” he said.
Putin said the SCO had restored “genuine multilateralism”, another veiled swipe towards the Western tariff chaos brought on by Washington this year.
“This, in turn, lays the political and socio-economic groundwork for the formation of a new system of stability and security in Eurasia,” he 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.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also joined leaders from Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East in a show of Global South solidarity.
The SCO initially began as a six-nation Eurasian grouping, but has now grown to 10 permanent members alongside 16 dialogue and observer states.
Xi also called on members to “oppose Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation” and to back multilateral trade systems. China pledged 2 billion yuan ($280 million) in free aid to SCO members this year, along with 10 billion yuan in loans to the group’s banking consortium.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, described China’s role in defending global multilateralism as “fundamental.”
BRICS nations pile on Trump
There’s also the issue of BRICS.
The 11 emerging nations — including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — account for about half the world’s population and 40 per cent of global economic output.
The bloc is divided about much, but found common cause when it comes to the mercurial US leader and his stop-start tariff wars — even if it avoided naming him directly.
Voicing “serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff” measures, BRICS members said the tariffs risked hurting the global economy, according to a summit joint statement.
Earlier, BRICS also offered symbolic backing to fellow member Iran, condemning the recent series of military strikes on nuclear and other targets carried out by Israel and the United States.
Power trio to convene for ‘Victory Day’ parade
It all comes as leaders close to Xi plan to convene for China’s “Victory Day” parade this week.
The event is an opportunity for the world’s largest nation to showcase its military might, but it will also double as a rare moment of geopolitical theatre featuring a trio of leaders now seen as a new axis of global power.
China confirmed on Thursday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will attend the 80th anniversary “Victory Day” parade, which commemorates the end of World War II and China’s war against Japan.
Kim will meet with Xi and Putin, two leaders with whom he has strengthened ties in recent years as tensions continue to mount with the West.
China’s foreign ministry praised its neighbour for their “traditional friendship” and promised deeper collaboration on “regional peace and stability”.
It will also be Kim’s first international-level summit with world leaders, marking a significant step forward for the notoriously shut-off nation shunned by democratic powers.
Russia’s presence is already under intense scrutiny, given its war in Ukraine, where North Korean troops have reportedly been deployed to fight alongside Russian forces.
The parade will be a 70-minute display of power, featuring tens of thousands of troops marching in Tiananmen Square under Xi’s watchful eye.
