China’s Xi slams ‘bullying’ behaviour in world order as SCO nations gather

• PM Shehbaz, Russia’s Putin, Indian PM Modi and other leaders attend session. 
• Xi speaks about constructive participation in int’l affairs, opposes hegemonism. 
• SCO has set a model for a new type of international relations: President Xi.

Chinese President Xi Jinping criticised on Monday “bullying behaviour” in the world order as he gathered regional leaders for a summit.

He called on the leaders — including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and India’s Narendra Modi — to “adhere to fairness and justice… oppose Cold War mentality, camp confrontation, and bullying behaviour”, in a speech in the northern city of Tianjin.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which is gathering for a two-day summit, comprises China, Pakistan, India, Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus — with 16 more countries affiliated as observers or “dialogue partners”.

China and Russia have sometimes touted the SCO as an alternative to the NATO military alliance.

“The current international situation is becoming chaotic and intertwined,” Xi told the leaders.

“The security and development tasks facing member states have become even more challenging,” he added.

“Looking back, despite tumultuous times, we have achieved success by practicing the Shanghai spirit,” he said, referring to the name of the group.

“Looking to the future, with the world undergoing turbulence and transformation, we must continue to follow the Shanghai spirit, keep our feet on the ground, forge ahead, and better perform the functions of the organisation.”

Xi said China will work with all parties in the SCO to take the regional security forum to a new level, as he unveiled his ambition for a new global security order that poses a challenge to the United States.

The SCO has set a model for a new type of international relations, Xi said in opening remarks at the summit, adding that the forum unequivocally opposed external interference.

Xi spoke also about constructive participation in international affairs, opposing hegemonism and power politics, as well as promoting multilateralism in his remarks.

The security-focused bloc, which began as a group of six Eurasian nations, has expanded to 10 permanent members and 16 dialogue and observer countries in recent years.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said China played a “fundamental” role in upholding global multilateralism on Sunday.

Analysts say China will use this year’s largest-ever summit to demonstrate an alternative vision of global governance to the American-led international order at a time of erratic policymaking, a U.S. retreat from multilateral organisations and geopolitical flux.

Beijing has also used the summit as an opportunity to mend ties with New Delhi.

Modi, who is in China on his first visit in seven years, and Xi both agreed on Sunday their countries are development partners, not rivals, and discussed ways to improve trade ties amid the global tariff uncertainty.