The SCO summit 2025 happened at a defining moment in history. The world is going through harsh turbulences and is facing a triple challenge of expanding instability and conflicts, economic meltdown, and moral crisis. On top of everything, climate change is threatening the very existence of the planet and humans. Simultaneously, a severe competition is underway among three superpowers to claim the status of global leader. A superpower is in decline, the USA, and the other is on the rise, China. However, the most interesting case is a resurging superpower, Russia. Russia is silently building its credentials to reestablish its lost status.
Meanwhile, some countries are trying to present themselves as an alternative to superpowers and assume a status out of proportion, like India. There is also a regional dominance race among countries to consolidate their position as regional leaders in various parts of the world, such as the Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, Central Asia, and South America. In a nutshell, amid the challenges, an effort is underway to reform and redesign the global order, or aiming to create a multiple-polar world order.
The deliberations at the summit further strengthen the argument. It was discussed that the bullying behaviour and hegemonic aspiration are very much alive. Some powerful countries are unwilling to relinquish their hegemonic ambitions. They are exploiting the weak nations and extracting unjust benefits. The global governance system is unable to check the bullying of weak countries at the hands of powerful ones. Therefore, there is a need to either reform the global governance system or establish a new one, which can prevent bullying and ensure justice and fairness.
In this context, the SCO meeting in Tianjin attracted global attention, and President Xi’s speech was widely broadcast and watched. President Xi unambiguously talked about the challenges the world is facing. He categorically highlighted the need to enhance cooperation among the member states. He urged all members to promote win-win cooperation and to denounce the mentality of the Cold War, hegemony, bullying, and the notion that one’s interests are paramount. The SCO should champion and help to create a new type of international relationship based on respect, justice, fairness, and without any discrimination or fear.
President Xi announced several groundbreaking initiatives in various fields. First, he shared that China would divert 2 billion Yuan for development projects and programs under the SCO. Second, China will launch 10 “small yet smart” programs under BRI for the SCO member countries. Third, China will organize 10 Luban workshops and train almost 10000 young people. Fourth, special scholarships will be provided in science and technology. Fifth, China will give 7 billion Yuan through the SCO Interbank Consortium for the SCO members.
These initiatives mark a new beginning for the SCO, as previously, there was no funding available for development projects under the SCO. It shows that China is extremely serious about making the SCO a strong organization.
President Xi also proposed that member states must intensify efforts to enhance cooperation in the fields of security and development. He suggested enhancing efforts to establish the Comprehensive Center for Responding to Security Threats and Challenges and the Counter-Narcotics Center as soon as possible, and accelerating the establishment of the SCO Development Bank. He was of the view that the establishment of the Bank would assist the SCO in helping member states by providing financial resources to pursue the goal of economic development and ensure security.
President Xi also introduced and launched the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) during the SCO Summit. The launch of GGI sparked a global debate. Many experts believe that President Xi has launched an alternative to establish a new global governance model in response to the hegemony of the Global North. The Global South was asking to reform the international system, as it is unjust, unfair, and does not protect the weak against bullying by powerful countries. It is built on the Cold War mentality and hegemonic aspirations of a few countries. Unfortunately, the Global North refused to listen to and entertain the legitimate demands of the Global South for reforming the international governance system. In this context, many experts believe that President Xi has come up with the idea of an alternative system. China does not agree to this observation and highlights that it wants to share its experience of good governance with the world, as it was doing in the case of poverty eradication.
Apart from President Xi, President Putin also delivered an important speech. He echoed the message of President Xi’s speech. He strongly advocated for a multipolar world run by the law and principles. He was of the view that the SCO has become a formidable force in the realm of international governance. He also emphasized the importance of building transportation and connectivity infrastructure, as well as digital infrastructure and mechanisms to facilitate connectivity. He underscored the importance of SCO-based trade mechanisms and enhanced use of local currencies.
Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif also spoke on the occasion and shared with the member states that Pakistan firmly believes in multilateralism, supports multilateral dialogue and diplomacy to resolve issues. He also emphasized that he does not believe in unilateralism or making decisions unilaterally.
The leaders of other nations also echoed the same message and spirit. Therefore, the experts believe that the Tianjin SCO summit effectively presented the case of the Global South and highlighted the need for a multipolar world. This is the first time, or perhaps the only platform, where the leadership of the Global South has called for reforming global governance or working towards a new global order. A few months ago, leaders from the Global South gathered in Brazil under the BRICS umbrella and conveyed the same message. It is pertinent to note that both the SCO and BRICS are in an expansion mode, having gained immense influence and importance at the global level.
In a nutshell, both are working towards the same goal, but their efforts are scattered. It is feared that in the future, the members of these organizations can get involved in non-productive competition. Moreover, some countries are members of both organizations. They fall prey to their personal liking, disliking, and agendas, and start to prefer one organization over the other. Additionally, creating multiple organizations will be a burden on both human and financial resources, which can weaken some of these organizations. Lastly, the West can also employ the policy of divide and rule, targeting these organizations to divide the Global South.
In this context, it is proposed that the Global South consider establishing a single, global Southern organization with a broader membership and scope. It can be a merger of SCO, BRICS, and other initiatives. One plausible option is the transformation of SCO into the Global South Cooperation Organization (G-SCO) or the Southern Cooperation Organization (SCO). China must lead the transformation because it has the experience to build global initiatives, such as the BRI, it has the will to do so, it has the resources, and most importantly, China enjoys the unconditional trust of the Global South. The Global Governance Initiative can be a starting point or prototype for the G-SCO.