Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan on Sunday hosted a banquet at the Meijiang Convention and Exhibition Center in Tianjin to welcome the international guests attending the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCo) Summit.
Over 20 foreign heads of state and government, including spouses of SCO member states, observer states, dialogue partners, and guests of the chairing country, and 10 heads of international organisations, including the UN Secretary-General, arrived one after another.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, among other dignitaries, were also present on the occasion. According to sources, Guards of Honour lined up in salute. Accompanied by international music, the international guests marched along a red carpet, passing through a magnificent parade of flags composed of the participating countries, the SCO flag, and the UN flag.
The lights were bright along the Haihe River. President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan warmly welcomed the foreign leaders and their spouses, shook hands with them cordially, exchanged greetings and clicked photos together.
To the melodious welcome music, Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan entered the banquet hall together with the distinguished guests. President Xi delivered a speech, extending a warm welcome on behalf of the Chinese government and people to the foreign guests who came to China to attend the SCO Summit.
The Chinese President emphasised that since its establishment, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has consistently upheld the "Shanghai Spirit", consolidating unity and mutual trust, deepening pragmatic cooperation, and participating in international and regional affairs, becoming an important force in promoting the building of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind.
He noted that currently, the world is undergoing accelerating changes over a century, with a significant increase in instability, uncertainty, and unpredictable factors. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation bears an even greater responsibility for maintaining regional peace and stability and promoting development and prosperity for all countries.
The Chinese President mentioned that the summit shoulders the important mission of building consensus among all parties, stimulating cooperation momentum, and charting a blueprint for development.
He also expressed confidence that with the concerted efforts of all parties, the summit will be a resounding success, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation will undoubtedly demonstrate greater achievements and achieve greater development, making greater contributions to promoting unity and cooperation among member states, rallying the forces of the Global South, and promoting the progress of human civilisation.
Xi Jinping also pointed out that Tianjin is an open and inclusive city, a key location in the capital region since ancient times, and a pioneering area of China's reform and opening up. Guided by the coordinated development strategy of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, Tianjin is continuously showing new vitality in its chapter of Chinese-style modernisation.
He said that hosting this summit in Tianjin will undoubtedly inject new vitality into the sustainable development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. As per sources, after the banquet, Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan watched the artistic performance “Creating the Future Together” with the distinguished guests, appreciating the beauty of harmony among civilisations and the confluence of hundreds of rivers into the sea, and feeling the driving force of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization family to unite and cooperate to create brilliance together.