The Tianjin Declaration (2025)
18.12.2025
The Tianjin Declaration (2025)
Context
At the 20th anniversary summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held in Tianjin, China (August 2025), India joined other member states in endorsing the Tianjin Declaration. This milestone document outlines a collective roadmap for the grouping, with a specific and groundbreaking focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance and regional digital sovereignty.
About the Tianjin Declaration
The Tianjin Declaration serves as the central political outcome of the 2025 SCO Council of Heads of State. It defines the SCO’s strategic vision for the next decade, balancing traditional security concerns with emerging technological challenges.
Key Outcomes and AI Framework:
- AI Rights and Equality: Asserted that all nations have "equal rights" to develop and utilize AI, rejecting any monopolistic control over the technology.
- Global Alignment: Directly aligned the SCO’s goals with the UN General Assembly resolution (A/RES/79/322) regarding AI capacity building for sustainable development.
- Risk Mitigation: Committed to building AI systems that are safe, transparent, inclusive, and accountable. Members agreed to fight the use of AI for spreading misinformation, deepfakes, and radicalization.
- Regional AI Centre: Officially welcomed the establishment of the Regional Artificial Intelligence Centre in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, to serve as a hub for Central Asian digital integration.
- Roadmap for 2035: Approved the SCO Development Strategy until 2035, which integrates AI and the digital economy into the core pillars of regional cooperation.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
The SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organization that has evolved from a security-focused bloc into a comprehensive regional partnership representing roughly 40% of the world's population.
Structural Overview:
- Established: June 15, 2001 (Successor to the "Shanghai Five").
- Headquarters: * Secretariat: Beijing, China.
- RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure): Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
- Member States (10): India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus (joined 2024).
- New "Partner" Status: In 2025, the SCO simplified its structure by merging "Observer" and "Dialogue Partner" into a single "SCO Partner" category, welcoming Laos as the newest partner.
Governance Bodies:
- Council of Heads of State (CHS): The supreme decision-making body that meets annually.
- Council of Heads of Government (CHG): Focuses on economic, trade, and budgetary issues.
- Council of Foreign Ministers: Prepares for the CHS meetings and handles international coordination.
Significance for India
- Anti-Terrorism Focus: India successfully pushed for the declaration to explicitly condemn the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, reinforcing the SCO's mandate to combat cross-border terrorism without "double standards."
- Technological Leadership: India’s endorsement of the AI framework aligns with its "AI for All" mission and the IndiaAI Governance Guidelines (2025), positioning India as a bridge between Global South needs and advanced tech standards.
- Strategic Balancing: PM Modi’s visit to Tianjin (his first to China in seven years) highlighted India's use of the SCO platform to maintain regional dialogue despite bilateral friction.
Conclusion
The Tianjin Declaration marks the SCO’s transition into a "techno-security" organization. By championing AI governance and establishing long-term development strategies until 2035, the SCO is attempting to create an alternative multilateral model that emphasizes sovereignty and digital inclusivity. For India, the declaration remains a vital tool for ensuring regional stability and securing its interests in the Eurasian heartland.