President Xi calls for just and equitable global governance system

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are among the ten members

gathering in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan for the Shanghai Cooperation

Organization summit, with other countries including Turkey and

Laos participating with the status of "dialogue partners."

World leaders arrive at the Yrys Ordo Congress Hall in Bishkek,

Kyrgyzstan to kick off the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov welcomes his counterparts,

including President Xi Jinping,

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,

and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Founded in 2001 by China, Russia and four Central Asian states as

a security forum, SCO has grown in size and influence over

the past quarter-century.

It now includes 10 nations: Russia, China, India, Iran, Pakistan,

Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with

many other countries holding the status of "dialogue partners."

Along with Russia, China has presented the SCO as an

alternative to Western-aligned organisations like the G7,

and in recent years has wanted to expand the scope and influence

of the organisation, pledging development and financial assistance.

During his speech at the Meeting of Council of Heads of State,

Xi says SCO is an important pillar of South-South cooperation.

He furthers that the SCO has become a key platform for Eurasian

countries to pursue development and tackle challenges.

Russia's Putin echoes similar sentiments while calling the SCO

"the largest regional organisation not only in the Eurasian continent,

but also in the world as a whole."

He says the organisation shoulders the responsibility "to ensure

any acts of provocation leading to armed conflict are

eliminated from global practice."

Later at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus summit

where partner nations were in attendence,

Xi calls on the SCO to

shoulder the responsibility of the times and work together to

advance a more just and equitable global governance system.