https://arab.news/ngg7n
For much of 2025, the global spotlight has been firmly on the start of Donald Trump’s second US presidency. Yet recent days have seen the focus shift to China with its hosting of the largest-ever Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, followed by a major military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
Collectively, the SCO now accounts for around three-fifths of the Eurasian continent, nearly half of the world’s population, and over 20 percent of global gross domestic product. Full members are China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; there are also wider observer nations and dialogue partners, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, and Bahrain in the Middle East.
The origins of SCO date back around two and a half decades to a much smaller group with a shared commitment to combat broader challenges of terrorism and separatism. Over time, however, the group has evolved into an economic forum, with many of the members also overlapping with the separate BRICS group.
For many years, these emerging market clubs appeared to lack momentum at successive summits. However, that perception may be changing.
