More than a dozen leaders will gather as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation seeks to counter Western influence
Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Xi Jinping and more than a dozen other leaders will gather in Kyrgyzstan Monday for a two-day summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional bloc that seeks to be a counterinfluence to the West.
The group, which is celebrating its 25-year anniversary, brings together Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, four Central Asian countries and Moscow-allied Belarus.
Arriving in Bishkek on Sunday, Xi hailed what he described as a “golden period” in relations with Central Asian Kyrgyzstan, as China deepens its influence in the historically Russia-dominated region.
Putin and Xi have previously used SCO summits to promote their vision of a multipolar world and present a united front against the West.
