PM Modi sees SCO role to promote inclusive world order, reforming global bodies

NEW new delhi: ground government minister Narendra Modi on mon questioned the duplicate standards in the fight against terrorism and emphasised the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s role in promoting an “inclusive world order” as leaders of the 10-member bloc gathered for a summit aimed at positioning it as an alternative to US world leadership.Addressing a gathering in the Chinese port city of Tianjin that included his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif, Modi described the “disgusting” terror attack in Pahalgam as a challenge to every country and said SCO members should question whether the support of terrorism by some countries is acceptable.With the SCO Summit held against the backdrop of the Donald Trump administration’s tariff policy roiling the global economy, Modi suggested the bloc should do more to reform global institutions and address the aspirations of the Global South. “The SCO can play a guiding role in promoting multilateralism and an inclusive world order,” he said.Also Read: Stood by each other in most difficult situations, says PM Modi on India-Russia tiesBefore the summit opened, images showed Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin holding hands and walking towards Chinese President Xi Jinping in the meeting hall. The three leaders formed a circle, laughing and smiling as they spoke, surrounded by translators, an apparent effort to convey solidarity.Modi said India believes the three main pillars of SCO are security, connectivity and opportunity, but made the fight against terrorism the thrust of his address at the summit. India, which has been affected by terrorism for four decades, has consistently stressed the importance of unity in combating the menace, he said.“Recently, we witnessed the most heinous face of terrorism in Pahalgam…This attack was not only an assault on the conscience of India, but also an open challenge to every nation, and every individual who believes in humanity,” he said. “In such circumstances, it is natural to ask: Can the open support for terrorism by certain countries ever be acceptable to us?”Urging all SCO members to clearly and unanimously oppose double standards on terrorism, Modi said: “Together, we must oppose terrorism in every form and manifestation.”The Indian side said ahead of the summit, for which Modi travelled to China for the first time in seven years, that New Delhi expected strong condemnation of cross-border terror in the joint communique. This was the first time Modi and Sharif came face to face since four days of hostilities between India and Pakistan in May, triggered by Indian military strikes on terrorist infrastructure in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack.The SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (SCO-RATS) played a key role in united efforts to counter terror and India took the initiative this year to fight al-Qaeda and other terror groups linked to it by leading a “joint information operation”, Modi said.“We have also proposed enhanced coordination, and joint measures against radicalisation. We have raised our voice firmly against terror financing,” he said.Modi also emphasised the SCO’s role in cooperation for reforming global institutions, such as the United Nations, and in boosting the development of the Global South. “To confine the aspirations of the Global South to outdated frameworks is to deny justice to future generations. The colourful dreams of the new generation cannot be displayed on a black-and-white screen. It is time to change the screen,” he said.Noting that strong connectivity opens doors to trade and builds trust and development, Modi said India backs initiatives such as Chabahar port and the International North-South Transport Corridor to boost links with Afghanistan and Central Asia. However, he cautioned that such ventures must respect sovereignty and territorial integrity – an oblique reference to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that is opposed by India since it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.“This is also enshrined in the basic principles of the SCO Charter. Connectivity that by-passes sovereignty loses trust and meaning,” he said.The SCO can also benefit from India’s wide-ranging reforms, Modi said. “This is opening up new opportunities for international cooperation along with development in the country. I invite all of you to join India’s development journey,” he added.Chinese President Xi highlighted his vision for a new global security and economic order that prioritises the Global South, an apparent challenge to the US. “We always stand on the side of international fairness and justice, champion inclusiveness and…oppose hegemonism and power politics, thus becoming a proactive force for world peace and development,” he said, in a thinly veiled swipe at President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.Describing the SCO as the world’s largest regional organisation with a combined economic output of almost $30 trillion, Xi said the bloc’s international influence and appeal are increasing. “We should safeguard the UN-centred international system and support the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core,” he said.Xi also announced China will implement 100 livelihood projects in SCO member states, provide RMB 2 billion yuan in grants to member states within 2025 and issue an additional RMB 10 billion yuan in loans to member banks of the SCO Interbank Consortium over three years.Russian President Putin said the SCO brings together like-minded partners committed to “shaping a just, multipolar world order” and the bloc is laying the “political and socioeconomic foundations for a new system of stability, security and peaceful development in Eurasia – a system that would replace outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models”.