China’s Xi Calls for ‘Universal Security’ as SCO Summit Opens

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to pursue a new model of “universal security” during the group’s Council of Heads of State summit in Bishkek on Friday. Speaking to leaders of the regional bloc, Xi emphasized that true stability cannot be achieved through unilateral actions or military alliances, but rather through cooperative, inclusive frameworks that respect the sovereignty of all nations. His remarks come as the SCO—which includes Russia, India, Pakistan, and several Central Asian states—seeks to expand its influence amid shifting global power dynamics. Xi did not specify new policy proposals, but his call signals Beijing’s push to position the SCO as a counterweight to Western-led security structures. The summit continues through the weekend, with economic cooperation and counterterrorism also on the agenda.