Pakistan’s cultural hub, Lahore, has been named the Tourism and Cultural Capital for 2026-27 by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

The decision was announced at the 26th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The Tourism and Cultural Capital title has been annually rotated among SCO member states since 2022 and aims to promote people-to-people contacts and tourism among member states while highlighting the cultural heritage of the country holding the organisation’s rotating presidency, Dawn newspaper reported.

Pakistan assumed the SCO presidency this year, with Mr. Sharif defining the theme of the chairmanship as ‘Turning Vision into Action: Connectivity, Innovation and Shared Prosperity’.

The decision to designate Lahore was taken in April this year, when the heads of tourism administrations of SCO member states met in Bishkek.

Cities that previously held the title include Varanasi in India (2022-23), Almaty in Kazakhstan (2023-24), Qingdao in China (2024-25) and Cholpon-Ata in Kyrgyzstan (2025-26).

The Beijing-headquartered SCO, marking its 25th anniversary this year, is a regional grouping founded in 2001 comprising 10 member states, including India. The summit was held in Bishkek under the chairmanship of Kyrgyzstan.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek and pay state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt from Sunday (August 30, 2026), Beijing’s foreign ministry said Wednesday (August 26).T

he tour, which lasts until September 3, will be Xi’s second overseas trip this year following a visit to North Korea in June.

The tour, which lasts until September 3, will be Mr. Xi’s second overseas trip this year following a visit to North Korea in June.

Amid current tensions between Washington and Delhi over tariffs and purchase of Russian oil, U.S. President Donald Trump said India and the United States have a “special relationship” and there’s nothing to worry about as the two countries “just have moments on occasion”.

“I’ll always be friends with (Narendra) Modi… He’s a great Prime Minister. He’s great. But I just don’t like what he’s doing at this particular moment. But India and the United States have a special relationship. There’s nothing to worry about. We just have moments on occasion,” Mr. Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday (September 5, 2025).

The president was responding to a question on whether he is ready to reset relations with India, as ties between the two countries continue to reel under possibly the worst phase in over two decades.

Mr. Trump also said he is “very disappointed” that India would be buying “so much oil” from Russia.

“I’ve been very disappointed that India would be buying so much oil from Russia, and I let them know that. We put a very big tariff on India, 50% tariff, a very high tariff. I get along very well with (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, he’s great. He was here a couple of months ago,” Mr. Trump said in response to a question on his social media post that the U.S. has lost India and Russia to China.

In the Truth Social post, Mr. Trump said that “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!”

Mr. Trump had also posted an old photo of Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Mr. Trump’s post on social media came days after the bonhomie among Modi, Xi and Putin at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Chinese city of Tianjin drew global attention.

To a question on how trade talks are going with India and other countries, Mr. Trump said, “They are going great. Other countries are doing great. We’re doing great with all of them. We’re upset with the European Union because of what’s happening with not just Google, but with all of our big companies.”

Meanwhile, Trump administration’s Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, Peter Navarro, said in a post on X that India’s highest tariffs cost U.S. jobs.

“India buys Russian oil purely to profit/revenues feed Russia war machine. Ukrainians/Russians die. U.S. taxpayers shell out more. India can’t handle truth/spins,” Mr. Navarro said.

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said that Mr. Trump and his trade team are disappointed that India continues to “fund” Russia’s Ukraine war.

“I think the trade team and the president are disappointed that India continues to fund Russia’s Ukraine war, and hopefully it’s a diplomatic issue that will have positive development soon,” Mr. Hassett told reporters at the White House on Friday.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Tuesday (September 2, 2025) that his country respects Russia’s relations with India, as he called for strengthening Islamabad’s ties with Moscow during his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing.

The two leaders are in China to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin and attend a grand parade of the Chinese army here on Wednesday (September 3, 2025), commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

“Our relations have only improved over the past many years. Thanks to your commitment and interest in many areas. I also intend to decisively strengthen our bilateral ties,” Mr. Sharif told President Putin.

​Unmistakable shift: On SCO Summit and Indian foreign policy 

The Prime Minister also expressed gratitude to the Russian President for supporting Pakistan, which was viewed as “a balancing act in the region”.

“I must say that we respect your relations with India. That is perfectly fine. But we also want to build very strong relations (with Russia). And these relations will be supplementary and complementary for the good and for the progress and prosperity of the region,” Mr. Sharif said.

Praise for Putin

He emphasised that Mr. Putin is “a very dynamic leader” and that now Russia and Pakistan “are moving in the right direction,” according to Russia’s state-run TASS news agency.

Mr. Sharif said that Pakistan was eager to expand ties with Russia in “trade connectivity, energy, agriculture, investment, defence, artificial intelligence, education, culture and people-to-people exchanges,” state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

President Putin noted the upward trajectory of ties between the two countries and stressed the importance of collaboration in organisations such as the SCO, which in turn can serve a major role in regional and global security and stability, it said.

The two leaders also discussed the situation in South Asia, Afghanistan, the Middle East and the Ukraine conflict. They also exchanged views on ongoing cooperation at the multilateral forums, as well as on the long-standing issues and disputes of global interest, such as Palestine and Kashmir, Radio Pakistan reported.

Accepts invitation to visit Russia

Mr. Sharif also accepted Putin’s invitation to visit Russia in November and participate in a SCO event for heads of government. “I would be very happy to visit Russia,” he said.

The relations between Pakistan and Russia have come a long way from the Cold War hostility to the current level of cooperation, and there is hope to further expand it in the coming years.

In recent years, the two countries have engaged in strengthening bilateral ties with each other.

Separately, Mr. Sharif also met Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon in Beijing, and both leaders expressed their satisfaction with the ongoing cooperation between their countries in all areas of mutual interest.

The 10-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation on Monday (September 1, 2025) ‘strongly condemned’ terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

The Tianjin Declaration, signed and adopted by all members including India, Pakistan, and Russia, also condemned terrorist attacks on Jaffer Express and Khuzdar in Pakistan. It also called for an end to “cross-border movement” of terrorists. The declaration reaffirmed the bloc’s “firm commitment to fight against terrorism, separatism, and extremism”, and stressed the inadmissibility of attempts to use terrorist, separatist, and extremist groups for “mercenary purposes”.

Follow PM Modi in China LIVE updates on September 1

The declaration that came at the summit which focused on strengthening the Global South amid global uncertainties in trade and a “fluid and chaotic global situation”, opened by stating that the world is undergoing “profound historical changes that affect all sphered of political, socio-economic, and social relations”.

The member states also opposed “unilateral coercive measures, including those of an economic nature”, that contravene UN charter and principles of the World Trade Organisation, in a possible reference to the U.S. tariffs. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who chaired the meeting of the heads of the member states, in his opening remarks criticised the “bullying behaviour” in the world order and called on leaders to “adhere to fairness and justice” while opposing “cold war mentality”.

Taking note of Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza and the catastrophic humanitarian situation engulfing the Gaza Strip, all the member states expressed “deep concern” and strongly condemned “actions that have led to numerous casualties among the civilian population” in the enclave. A “comprehensive and just settlement” of the Palestinian issue is the only way to ensure peace in West Asia, the declaration said.

India also joined the fellow members of the grouping to strongly condemn the military strikes by Israel and the U.S. against Iran, a member state, in June that targeted Tehran’s nuclear facilities. The member states reaffirmed the importance of the UN Security Council resolution 2231 which included provisions for lifting sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear programme.

The declaration also took note of the political situation in Afghanistan, which holds an observer status in the grouping but did not attend the summit. The members reiterated that the formation of an “inclusive government with broad participation of representatives of all ethno-political groups” of the society is the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan.

All the member states except India also reaffirmed their support for China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Mr. Xi, in his opening remarks, also pledged to provide two billion yuan in grant to member countries within this year, and an additional 10 billion yuan in loan to member banks of the SCO Interbank Consortium over the next three years. He also said that the group should set uo an “SCO development bank” as soon as possible.

The declaration also welcomed a resolution by the annual United Nations General Assembly that called for “Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to escalating contemporary forms of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance” .

(With inputs from Suhasini Haider)

The writer is in China at an invitation from the China Public Diplomacy Association.

Russia and China have taken a common stand against “discriminatory sanctions” that hinder the socioeconomic development of BRICS member countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

Mr. Putin, who arrived in Tianjin to attend the Shanghai Cooperation (SCO) summit, made the remarks in an interview with China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.

He said that Russia and China are paying special attention to mobilising additional resources for critical infrastructure projects, and stand united in strengthening BRICS’ ability to address pressing global challenges.

The Russian president said that Moscow and Beijing take a “common stand against discriminatory sanctions that hinder the socioeconomic development” of BRICS members and the world at large.

Mr. Putin’s remarks came in the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump threatening the member countries of BRICS with 10% tariffs.

BRICS is an intergovernmental organisation comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates have joined BRICS as its new members.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to meet Mr. Putin on the sidelines of the SCO summit being held here from Sunday to Monday.

In the written interview with Xinhua, Mr. Putin said Russia and China support reforming the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

He added that the two sides share the view that a new financial system must be built on the principles of “openness and true equity”, which can provide equal and non-discriminatory access to its tools for all countries and reflect the real standing of member states in the global economy.

“We seek progress for the benefit of all humanity. I am confident that Russia and China will continue to work together towards this noble goal, aligning our efforts to ensure the prosperity of our great nations,” he said.

Besides attending the summit and holding talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Mr. Putin will also attend China’s V-Day parade to commemorate the 80th anniversary of its victory against Japan in WWII.

He hoped that the SCO Tianjin Summit will inject powerful new momentum into the 10-member organisation and strengthen its capacity to respond to contemporary challenges and threats, and consolidate solidarity across the shared Eurasian space.

“All this will help shape a fairer multipolar world order,” he said.

The SCO’s appeal lies in its simple but powerful principles: a firm commitment to its founding philosophy, openness to equal cooperation, not targeting third parties, and respect for the national characteristics and uniqueness of each nation, he said.

“Drawing on these values, the SCO contributes to shaping a fairer, multipolar world order, grounded in international law, with the central coordinating role of the United Nations,” he said.

“I am confident that, through our joint efforts, we will give the SCO new momentum, modernising it to meet the demands of the time,” he said.

After a gap of over seven years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in China on Saturday (August 30, 2025) on a keenly watched visit that assumed greater significance in view of the sudden downturn in India-U.S. ties triggered by Washington’s policies on tariffs.

PM Modi is in China primarily to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on August 31 and September 1.

PM Modi arrives in China’s Tianjin ahead of SCO summit | LIVE Updates on August 30, 2025

However, his scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday (August 31, 2025) has assumed greater significance in the face of Washington’s tariff tussle that has impacted almost all leading economies across the world.

In the talks, PM Modi and Mr. Xi are expected to take stock of India-China economic ties and deliberate on steps to further normalise relations that came under severe strain following the eastern Ladakh border row.

The Prime Minister arrived in this Chinese city from Japan in the second and final leg of his two-nation.

PM Modi is also expected to hold bilateral talks Russian President Vladimir Putin and a number of other leaders on the margins of the summit.

Ahead of his trip to Tianjin, PM Modi said it is important for India and China to work together to bring stability to the world economic order. In an interview with Japan’s The Yomiuri Shimbun, PM Modi said a stable, predictable, and amicable bilateral relations between India and China can have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity.

“Given the current volatility in world economy, it is also important for India and China, as two major economies, to work together to bring stability to the world economic order,” PM Modi said in the interview published on Friday (August 29, 2025).

PM Modi’s trip to China comes less than a fortnight after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited India.

Following Mr. Wang’s wide-ranging talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the two sides unveiled a series of measures for a “stable, cooperative and forward-looking” relationship between the two sides.

The measures included joint maintenance of peace along the contested frontier, reopening border trade and resuming direct flight services at the earliest.

In the last few months, both sides have initiated a series of measures to reset their ties that came under severe strain following the deadly clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June 2020.

The Prime Minister last visited China in June 2018, to attend the SCO summit. Chinese President Xi visited India in October 2019 for the second “informal summit”.

The eastern Ladakh face-off effectively ended following completion of the disengagement process from the last two friction points of Demchok and Depsang under an agreement finalised on October 21 last year.

China will seek to demonstrate Global South solidarity at SCO; Xi-Modi meeting will be one key event on summit sidelines; Putin to stay for World War Two military parade in Beijing

BEIJING President Xi Jinping will gather more than 20 world leaders at a regional security forum in China next week in a powerful show of Global South solidarity in the age of Donald Trump while also helping sanctions-hit Russia pull off another diplomatic coup.

Aside from Russian President Vladimir Putin, leaders from Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia have been invited to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, to be held in the northern port city of Tianjin from August 31 to September 1.

The summit will feature Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to China in more than seven years as the two neighbours work on further defusing tensions roiled by deadly border clashes in 2020.

PM Modi last shared the same stage with Mr. Xi and Mr. Putin at last year’s BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, even as Western leaders turned their backs on the Russian leader amid the war in Ukraine. Russian embassy officials in New Delhi last week said Moscow hopes trilateral talks with China and India will take place soon.

“Xi will want to use the summit as an opportunity to showcase what a post-American-led international order begins to look like and that all White House efforts since January to counter China, Iran, Russia, and now India have not had the intended effect,” said Eric Olander, editor-in-chief of The China-Global South Project, a research agency. “Just look at how much BRICS has rattled [U.S. President] Donald Trump, which is precisely what these groups are designed to do.”

This year’s summit will be the largest since the SCO was founded in 2001, a Chinese Foreign Ministry official said last week, calling the bloc an “important force in building a new type of international relations”.

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. Its remit has also enlarged from security and counter-terrorism to economic and military cooperation.

‘Fuzzy’ implementation

Analysts say expansion is high on the agenda for many countries attending, but agree the bloc has not delivered substantial cooperation outcomes over the years and that China values the optics of Global South solidarity against the United States at a time of erratic policymaking and geopolitical flux.

“What is the precise vision that the SCO represents and its practical implementation are rather fuzzy. It is a platform that has increasing convening power, which helps in narrative projection,” said Manoj Kewalramani, chairperson of the Indo-Pacific Research Programme at the Takshashila Institution thinktank in Bangalore.

“But the SCO’s effectiveness in addressing substantial security issues remains very limited.” Frictions remain between core members India and Pakistan. The June SCO defence ministers’ meeting was unable to adopt a joint statement after India raised objections, saying it omitted reference to the deadly April 22 attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir which led to the worst fighting in decades between India and Pakistan.

New Delhi also refused to join the SCO’s condemnation of Israeli attacks on Iran, a member state, earlier in June. But the recent detente between India and China after five years of heightened border frictions, as well as renewed tariff pressure on New Delhi from the Trump administration, are driving expectations for a positive meeting between Mr. Xi and PM Modi on the sidelines of the summit.

“It’s likely [New Delhi] will swallow their pride and put this year’s SCO problems behind them in a bid to maintain momentum in the détente with China, which is a key Modi priority right now,” said Mr. Olander.

Analysts expect India and China to announce further incremental border measures such as troop withdrawals, the easing of trade and visa restrictions, cooperation in new fields including climate, and broader government and people-to-people engagement.

Despite the lack of substantive policy announcements expected at the summit, experts warn that the bloc’s appeal to Global South countries should not be underestimated.

“This summit is about optics, really powerful optics,” added Mr. Olander.

PM Modi is expected to depart from China after the summit, while Mr. Putin will stay on for a World War Two military parade in Beijing later in the week for an unusually long spell outside of Russia.