Xi Jinping hosts Putin and Modi at a summit organized amid tensions with the West

The president of China's communist regime, Xi Jinping, hosted the heads of Russia and India Sunday at a summit that seeks to promote alternative world governance.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting, which runs through Monday in the port city of Tianjin, also brought together leaders from about 20 Eurasian countries. The countries gathered represent nearly half the world's population and a significant share of global GDP.

The bloc, often presented as a counterweight to NATO, is composed of China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, with 16 other countries affiliated as observers or "dialogue partners."

Meeting between Modi and Xi: "Partners and not rivals"

Xi Jinping met Sunday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived the day before on his first visit to China since 2018.

At the meeting, Modi told his Chinese counterpart that India is committed to boosting "relations on the basis of mutual trust, dignity and sensitivity."

Xi responded that he hopes the two countries will recognize that they are "partners and not rivals," state-run CCTV reported.

If they see each other as "opportunities for development rather than threats," China-India relations will grow steadily, he added.

The world's two most populous nations are rivals competing for influence in South Asia.

The thaw in relations between the two countries began in October, when Modi met Xi for the first time in five years at a summit in Russia.

"The interests of the 2.8 billion people of the two countries are linked to our cooperation. This will also pave the way for the well-being of all mankind," the Indian leader told Xi.

The Chinese president also held a series of bilateral meetings with the leaders of Maldives, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and one of Putin's staunch allies, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Putin to meet with Erdogan to discuss Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in Tianjin on Sunday with an entourage of top political officials and business representatives.

The Kremlin leader is scheduled to meet Monday with Erdogan to address the conflict in Ukraine and will also meet with Pezeshkian to discuss Tehran's nuclear program.

The conflict in Ukraine was also addressed by the Turkish president this Sunday in a meeting with Xi Jinping, where they also discussed the situation in Gaza, Ankara reported.

Turkey has hosted three rounds of peace talks between Moscow and Kiev this year, which failed to resolve differences over how to end the conflict.