The Multipolar World's Growing Pains The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, has brought together a dozen heads of state, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping.
Their presence underscores the SCO's growing importance as a counterbalance to Western influence. Driven by Moscow's and Beijing's leadership, the SCO has sought to present a united front against the West.
At previous summits, Putin and Xi have touted their vision of a multipolar world, where multiple powers share the global stage rather than being dominated by the United States and its allies.