This photo taken on Aug. 30, 2025 shows an exterior view of the main venue of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 in Tianjin, north China. (Photo/Xinhua)

China offered a new platform to Global South for concerted efforts towards more equitable and multipolar world order through SCO Summit in Tianjin, China. The summit offers a gateway to developing economies in Global South to redefine their standing in international system based on multilateralism, mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, and consensus-based decision making.

China leads its way to emulate these ideals beyond regional context and advocates for more pluralism in politico-economic spheres in the world. Chinese intervention to play constructive role in changing world order is driven by Western centric security agendas and America's exclusion from global economic supply chains through protective tariffs.

Interest driven security agendas and economic exclusion are anti-thesis to China's global governance and development philosophy. This is why, Tianjin Summit is a step towards shaping a new model of cooperation for international relations. 

The participation of Russia, India, Pakistan, Turkey along with other permanent and observer members in Tianjin, China represents more than half of global population and quarter of global GDP. SCO has sufficient public representation to be a legitimate platform for debating on global issues and finding consensus-based solutions.

At this point, principles of openness, transparency and tendency to reduce trade barriers for better economic integration and connectivity are fundamental attraction pillars for Global South. On top of everything, respect for diverse civilizations and pursuit of common development set SCO apart from other organizations and plays a driving role in its success.

Unlike America's unpredictable tariff policy and dominating foreign policy, China offers sustainability and mutual growth. SCO Tianjin Summit has become a new global platform for high- quality development and shaping new global norms.

In the beginning, SCO was merely a five-member bloc focused on border management but it has become a symbol of unity and multilateralism that aspire to set new standards for international relations. 

The principle of non-intervention in domestic affairs of partner states is another metric of its success followed by China's willingness to share its development knowledge and agendas. In other words, SCO Tianjin Summit offers an alternate perspective on cooperation and inclusion that defy exclusion and domination. This pluralism promotes multilateralism and subsequently multi-polarity. 

SCO has the huge potential to promote multilateralism and multipolar world order due to its wider participation and openness to welcome more members. The common grounds in SCO for multilateral cooperation are  renewable energy, education exchange, culture exchange, technology, agriculture and infrastructure development. SCO has one value addition than other regions of the world i.e. the youth bulge. The youth in China, Russia, India, Pakistan and Central Asia is a huge human resource that can transform the region for the decades to come.

Moreover, the SCO offer better consultation opportunities to its member states as it enables the leadership engagement at multiple levels i.e. Head of State level, Head of Government level, Foreign Minister Level, and Defense Minister Level in a round-table format. Other than government to government engagement, SCO members are deeply embedded through people-to-people contact, cultural exchange and education exchange programs. The consultation-based model has been fundamental driving force behind SCO's success.

This is why, SCO Plus format at Tianjin representing states from Europe, Africa and Asia reflects a deeper but gradual consolidation of Global South. Calls for reforms in international affairs used to be termed as a rhetoric but recent economic disruption in Global South due to climate change and rising carbon footprint pushed it together.

China leads its way in renewable energy, sustainable development and climate resilient policies, it is ready to share its resources and knowledge to uplift SCO members triggering a positive change in Global South. Tianjin Summit highlights that how organizations are better equipped, resourceful and carry political weight to promote such ambitious reforms. In essence, SCO is not competing with any organization but it is rightful in demanding transparency, equity, and just representation to access development resources. 

With these ideals, SCO resonates with the public aspirations that enable SCO to promote South-South Cooperation and lead the way towards multi-polar world order. The underlying principles of shaping global governance has been come out at Tianjin Summit. Consultation is better than confrontation and equality is better than hierarchy. 

If SCO continue the pace and live up to the expectations of states that look up to China, it will soon become a regional success story, a new model of international relations and the most inter-connected organization in Global South. 

Muhammad Asif Noor is the Founder of the Friends of BRI Forum.

The views expressed herein belong to Muhammad Asif Noor and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Bridging News and iChongqing.