On Saturday, Kazakhstan’s President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, along with other Central Asian leaders, will travel to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. The visit comes amid China’s accelerating influence in the region, highlighting the summit’s growing geopolitical significance.
Four Strategic Days in China
Tokayev will visit China from August 30 to September 3 at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. High-level talks are planned, during which the two leaders will discuss deepening the Kazakh-Chinese strategic partnership.
Tokayev will also attend the SCO Plus summit in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1. On September 2, he will speak at a meeting of the Kazakhstan-China Business Council in Beijing and hold talks with the heads of major Chinese companies. On September 3, he will take part in commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in World War II.
Who Will Attend the Tianjin Summit?
This year’s gathering marks the 25th anniversary of the SCO. Leaders from over 20 countries and representatives from ten international organizations are expected to participate. The SCO currently includes ten member states: Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, India, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
Particular attention is focused on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose visit to China will be his first in seven years. Russian President Vladimir Putin also plans to attend. Leaders from Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, and several other countries are also expected. According to China’s Foreign Ministry, this will be the largest SCO summit since the organization’s inception.
Why Tianjin? A Strategic Choice
Chinese analysts describe Tianjin as a strategic hub for the Belt and Road Initiative. They note its position where sea and land routes converge, the starting point of the China-Mongolia-Russia corridor, and a key link in the New Eurasian Land Bridge connecting China, Central Asia, and Europe. Its advanced infrastructure, experience in hosting international events, and open policies are seen as transforming it into a “super-hub.”
Tianjin has long contributed to SCO activities, particularly through the “Lu Ban Workshop” international education initiative. Currently, ten such workshops operate across SCO countries, training skilled technical personnel in fields aligned with labor market demands.
Analysts’ Perspectives
Western analysts quoted by Reuters say the summit will project a message of “Global South solidarity” and offer Russia an opportunity to achieve a “diplomatic coup” amid ongoing sanctions.
“Xi Jinping will want to use the summit to demonstrate how the American-led international order is weakening,” said Eric Olander, editor-in-chief of The China-Global South Project. “It’s a moment to show that all the White House’s efforts since January to counter China, Iran, Russia, and now India have not had the desired impact.”
China’s Expanding Role in Central Asia
On June 16-17, President Xi Jinping visited Kazakhstan, where leaders of the five Central Asian states, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, signed the Astana Declaration at the second China-Central Asia summit. They also concluded an agreement on eternal good-neighborliness, friendship, and cooperation. In total, over 35 memoranda worth more than $17 billion were signed.
According to analyst Kanat Ospanov, this was President Xi’s sixth visit to Kazakhstan. In 2024, bilateral trade reached a record $30 billion, with Kazakhstani exports accounting for half of that figure. “This reflects China’s growing interest in domestic goods and the strengthening of Kazakhstan’s regional position,” Ospanov said.
China is also one of the largest investors in the Kazakh economy. “Sixty-three joint projects worth $10 billion have already been implemented, and another 60 are underway. The total investment portfolio exceeds $57 billion, covering more than 200 projects in sectors such as industry, energy, and logistics,” Ospanov added.
