Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the plenary session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China, calling terrorism a “collective challenge to humanity” and warning against double standards in combating extremism.
“Any kind of double standard is not acceptable on the issue of terrorism,” Modi said, underlining India’s leadership in countering terror groups such as Al-Qaeda and its affiliates. He thanked friendly nations for supporting India after the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which he described as showing the “ugly face of terrorism.”
Modi emphasized that terrorism, separatism, and extremism remain threats to peace, prosperity, and stability, noting that India has faced the scourge of terror for over four decades.
Xi Jinping’s Call Against Global “Bullying”
Earlier in the day, Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the summit by criticizing “bullying behavior” in the global order. He called on SCO members, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin and India’s Modi, to uphold fairness, reject Cold War mentality, and strengthen multilateralism.
Xi pledged 2 billion yuan (USD 281 million) in grants for SCO members this year, while highlighting the forum as an example of new international relations. He urged greater unity against hegemonism and external interference.
Regional Diplomacy at the SCO
The SCO, originally a six-nation bloc, now includes 10 permanent members and 16 dialogue partners and observers, focusing on security, politics, and economic cooperation. More than 20 world leaders are attending the summit.
On the sidelines, Modi met both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. Modi shared on social media: “Always a delight to meet President Putin,” noting the discussions held in Tianjin. He also engaged with Xi to ease border tensions and strengthen bilateral cooperation.
According to India’s foreign ministry, China pledged support to India in combating terrorism during their bilateral meeting. This visit is Modi’s first to China since ties soured following the 2020 border clashes.
As deliberations continue, the SCO summit is expected to outline the bloc’s next phase of regional security and cooperation in a rapidly shifting global order.
Nisham Ismail 
arun564 
Nithin Rosh