Various world leaders arrive in Beijing for the SCO Tianjin Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed world leaders in the northern port city of Tianjin on Sunday, ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.

Xi held talks at the Tianjin Guest House with Maldivian President Mohamed Muizz, Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Xi reaffirmed China’s commitment to consolidate relations with the three countries, which are among the 14 nations that serve as “dialogue partners” of the SCO.

SCO was established by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and later expanded to include members such as India, Iran, Pakistan and Belarus.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have also arrived in Tianjin for the summit.

The summit comes just days before a massive military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, where China emerged victorious over its neighbor Japan.