Global Media on the SCO Summit: "The World Will Never Be the Same"

This past week, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, became the primary source of the most discussed news stories worldwide.

International media and analysts continue to comment on this historic event. The overarching theme is clear — the world will never be the same. Supporters of a unipolar world order received a powerful signal.

"The SCO plays a key role in Beijing’s efforts to create stronger multilateral alternatives to Western or U.S.-led blocs such as NATO," notes The Guardian.

"These efforts have been reinforced by the upheavals caused by Trump’s tariffs and other aspects of his foreign policy."

The French publication Libération provides an intriguing description of the event:

"The current context — characterized by the US trade conflict with China and India, the war in Ukraine, and Iran’s nuclear dispute — makes this SCO summit the most important in its history. Its most tangible result was the rapprochement between Beijing and New Delhi after decades of tension over disputed Himalayan borders. Chinese President Xi Jinping poetically described this new bilateral harmony as 'the dance of the dragon and the elephant."

Libération further reports:

"Xi Jinping expressed his intention to facilitate the creation of the SCO Development Bank and pledged to provide preferential loans totaling $1.4 billion over three years. This can be seen as a step toward strengthening China’s economic cooperation ambitions," notes the South Korean newspaper The Chosun Ilbo.

The New York Times editorializes:

"The summit, attended by more than 20 leaders, was followed by a military parade in Beijing showcasing the latest Chinese missiles and aircraft. This is not merely spectacle — it demonstrates how Xi aims to turn history, diplomacy, and military power into tools for reshaping the global order, which has long been dominated by the United States."

Mikael Badalyan, member of the Eurasia Non-Governmental Organization (Armenia), comments:

"The SCO summit in China has caused quite a stir in Western media, and it’s important to say that this is not unfounded. Such events prove that talk of a multipolar world is already a reality. Today, we see entirely new alliances forming, offering a true alternative to the power structures that have held sway for many years. Russia, China, and India are countries that can now be seen as emerging centers of power."

He adds:

"The leaders of Russia and China, two superpowers, called for a new world order," reports Süddeutsche Zeitung. "They primarily envision a global structure different from the leadership model they associate with the United States. China seeks greater influence in the Global South through initiatives like the 'New Silk Road' and confidently positions itself as an alternative to Western partners."