By Akshara Dinkar, Sakshi Sinha with Dr. Saket Dinkar
London/Tianjin/New Delhi | August 30, 2025
The leaders of three of the world’s largest nations are set to gather in Tianjin, China, this weekend for the 25th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping will be among the prominent figures attending the Eurasian forum, alongside other heads of state. However, noticeably absent from the summit will be former U.S. President Donald Trump, often regarded as Washington’s most combative partner on the global stage.
“For this particular summit, the U.S. may not be at the table, but the U.S. is always present,” noted Yun Sun, Director of the China Program at the Washington DC–based Stimson Center.
