China’s Xi slams ‘bullying’ in speech to regional leaders at summit

Members of the delegations, led by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attend a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, September 1, 2025. -- Sputnik/Vladimir Smirnov/Pool via REUTERS

TIANJIN (AFP/Reuters): Chinese President Xi Jinping blasted “bullying behaviour” in the world order as he gathered Eurasian leaders on Sept 1 for a showpiece summit aimed at putting Beijing front and centre of regional relations.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) – comprising China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus – is touted as a non-Western style of collaboration that seeks to be an alternative to traditional alliances.