Putin, Modi visit China for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit

Leaders from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) are convening for a summit in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin starting on Sunday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to deliver several speeches and make announcements at the 25th meeting.

A joint declaration is also planned, while Xi is inviting attendees to a banquet.

The first day is expected to consist of individual meetings among the representatives of the members.

Participants include Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who are likely to speak with Xi on the sidelines of the summit.

Beijing, as the current chair, expects representatives from 20 countries and 10 organizations, in what the Chinese Foreign Ministry says is set to be the largest summit since the SCO’s inception.

The SCO was founded 24 years ago as an organization for combating terrorism and economic cooperation.

It now includes 10 countries, including Russia, China, India, Pakistan and Iran.