China, Russia and India leaders meet at SCO summit amid US rivalry

Leaders of China, Russia and India joined other heads of state in Kyrgyzstan on Monday for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a group seeking to strengthen cooperation among non-Western countries and counter US global influence.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended events in Bishkek. Putin and Xi held bilateral talks, with Russian state media reporting that Putin expressed Moscow's readiness to make visa-free travel with China permanent. Putin is also expected to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday.

Russia, more than four years into its full-scale war in Ukraine, and Iran, months into conflict with the US and Israel, see the summit as an opportunity to strengthen ties with non-Western partners.

Founded in 2001 by China, Russia and four Central Asian countries, the SCO has expanded to 10 members: China, Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Several other countries are dialogue partners.

China and Russia have promoted the SCO as an alternative to Western-led groups such as the G7, with Beijing seeking to expand its influence and provide development and financial support.

However, the SCO is neither a unified political nor military alliance. Its members have major differences and separate interests.

For India, analysts say the summit is largely about diplomacy and strategic positioning. India has rivalries with both China and Pakistan but sees the SCO as a way to protect its interests and monitor regional power shifts.

Turkey, a dialogue partner since 2012, also wants permanent membership as part of its effort to balance ties with the West and expand its influence across Eurasia.