Xi-Led Diplomatic Huddle Starts With Putin, Modi in Attendance

The biggest event on China’s diplomatic calendar of the year kicked off Sunday, as world leaders gathered to map out the future of a Beijing-led bloc that wants to offer an alternative to a US world order.

Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in the port city of Tianjin for the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit on Sunday morning, a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Other leaders at the huddle will include Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

In this photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Russian Trade Representative to China Alexey Dakhnovsky, left, in Tianjin on Aug. 31.

Photographer: Vladimir Smirnov/Pool/AFP/Getty Images

Although the gathering was planned long in advance, rapidly developing world events are giving ...