Putin in Beijing: SCO Summit and the Message of a “Multipolar Order”

Arrival in Tianjin and Opening of the Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Tianjin on Sunday, August 31, to participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit. The event, hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, brings together over 20 world leaders and marks the beginning of the Kremlin leader’s official visit to China.

Strategic Message: A New Multipolar Order

In his speech, Putin advocated for a “fairer multipolar world order”, a message that reinforces the joint Russo-Chinese position in counterbalancing Western influence. The SCO Summit serves as a platform to assert an alternative to the global order dominated by the United States and European allies.

Challenging Economic Context for Russia

Putin’s visit comes at a time of domestic economic fragility: declining energy revenues, accelerating inflation, and recession risks. In this context, the relationship with China gains vital importance, both through energy projects such as “Power of Siberia-2” and by maintaining access to the Asian market.

Implications for Our Region

• Eurasia is consolidating as a space of economic interconnection around China and Russia;
• Energy remains the central pivot of bilateral cooperation;
• Eastern Europe, including Romania and the Moldova Region, becomes a strategic crossroads between Western infrastructure and Eurasian corridors promoted by Beijing and Moscow.

Next Days

On September 1 and 2, bilateral meetings and potential economic agreements are expected, while on September 3 the visit will conclude in Beijing with a large-scale military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.