(MENAFN) Xi Jinping welcomed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres upon his Saturday arrival in Tianjin for the pivotal Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, according to state media reports.

The 25th SCO summit alongside the expanded "SCO Plus" gathering will unfold Sunday through Monday against a backdrop of escalating global conflicts—from Israel's Gaza offensive to the ongoing Ukraine war and mounting trade disputes.

Serving as rotating president, Xi will chair the proceedings in what represents China's fifth consecutive year hosting the annual SCO conference.

More than 20 national leaders plus heads from 10 international bodies are converging for the high-stakes talks.

Key attendees include Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masood Pezeshkian, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Xi has scheduled bilateral discussions with Erdogan during the summit's margins.

Priority agenda items encompass advancing the "Shanghai Spirit" philosophy, strengthening organizational frameworks, and expanding multilateral partnerships across security, economic, and cultural domains.

The gathering is expected to produce the Tianjin Declaration signing and ratification of a strategic roadmap spanning the next ten years.

Participants will release commemorative statements honoring both the 80th anniversary of World War II's conclusion and the UN's founding milestone, while endorsing multiple agreements targeting enhanced security, economic, and cultural collaboration.

Established in 2001, the SCO functions as a political-security bloc encompassing 10 nations: China, Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus.

Xi will subsequently host Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a major military demonstration September 8th marking World War II's 80th anniversary conclusion.

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