Based on official SCO documentation and media coverage, the following leaders were present at the recently concluded 2025 SCO Summit in Tianjin:
- Xi Jinping – President of China – Authoritarian – Core Member
- Vladimir Putin – President of Russia – Authoritarian – Core Member
- Narendra Modi – Prime Minister of India – Democratic (authoritarian tilt) – Core Member
- Masoud Pezeshkian – President of Iran – Authoritarian – Core Member
- Kassym‑Jomart Tokayev – President of Kazakhstan – Semi‑authoritarian – Core Member
- Shavkat Mirziyoyev – President of Uzbekistan – Semi‑authoritarian – Core Member
- Sadyr Japarov – President of Kyrgyzstan – Authoritarian – Core Member
- Emomali Rahmon – President of Tajikistan – Authoritarian – Core Member
- Alexander Lukashenko – President of Belarus – Authoritarian – Core Member
- Shehbaz Sharif – Prime Minister of Pakistan – Semi-authoritarian proxy of the military – Core Member
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – President of Turkey – Authoritarian – Dialogue Partner
- Ilham Aliyev – President of Azerbaijan – Authoritarian – Dialogue Partner
- Nikol Pashinyan – Prime Minister of Armenia – Hybrid/authoritarian tendencies – Dialogue Partner
- Hun Manet – Prime Minister of Cambodia – Semi‑authoritarian – Dialogue Partner
- Mostafa Madbouly – Prime Minister of Egypt – Authoritarian – Dialogue Partner
- Mohamed Muizzu – President of Maldives – Hybrid/democratic backsliding – Dialogue Partner
- Min Aung Hlaing (Acting) – Myanmar military leader – Authoritarian – Dialogue Partner
- Phạm Minh Chính – Prime Minister of Vietnam – Authoritarian (one-party) – Dialogue Partner
- Thongloun Sisoulith – President of Laos – Authoritarian (one-party) – Dialogue Partner
- Anwar Ibrahim – Prime Minister of Malaysia – Democratic – Dialogue Partner
- Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh – President of Mongolia – Democratic – Observer State
That is the list of leaders we sup with, stand shoulder to shoulder with, have photo ops with, shake hands with, and laugh raucously with. This is the list of the countries they represent, apparently over 43% of all humanity. This is the list of whom India has decided to associate itself with. Not because we chose to, but because we seem to have run out of options. This is our Plan B. This is our backup. This is what we have left. And this is who we stand with.
Make what you want of this.
P.S.: That does NOT mean that Donald Trump or Benjamin Netanyahu or Volodymyr Zelenskyy or Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud are any better, whether in terms of their viability as options, their authoritarian tendencies, or their regard for international law. Just that this is where we stand at the moment. And it is something to introspect about. I make no judgements. I am only presenting facts.
