New Delhi: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China, concluded on September 1, 2025, with a grand Victory Day parade showcasing Beijing’s military might and Global South solidarity.
Days later, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called for an emergency virtual BRICS meeting to counter U.S. President Donald Trump’s escalating tariffs, which threaten the bloc’s economic ambitions. As these events underscore the rising influence of non-Western alliances, it’s a critical moment to assess the roles of BRICS and SCO in reshaping the global order. With China asserting dominance in the SCO while playing a subtler role in BRICS, and India navigating its ascent in both, the Global South’s future hangs in the balance. The power tides have shifted south; the shores of BRICS or SCO remain to be decided.
BRICS: Economic Vanguard of the Global South
BRICS, now expanded to BRICS+ with the UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran, represents nearly half the world’s population and 40% of global GDP. Its strength lies in its flexible, non-bureaucratic structure, uniting diverse nations around economic goals like de-dollarisation and alternative financial systems. The New Development Bank funds infrastructure, bypassing Western institutions, while cross-border payment initiatives challenge the U.S. dollar’s dominance. Trump’s tariffs, up to 50% on India and 145% on China, reflect Washington’s alarm at BRICS+’s potential to undermine Western financial hegemony. Each expansion bolsters BRICS+’s geopolitical weight, amplifying its role as the Global South’s voice against Western monopolies.
SCO: China’s Security Stronghold
Founded in 2001 by China and Russia, the SCO focuses on Eurasian security, spanning China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and the Central Asian states. Its recent summit highlighted China’s assertive leadership, with President Xi Jinping unveiling a Global Governance Initiative to project a non-Western worldview. However, internal divisions, particularly India-Pakistan tensions, stifle consensus, limiting the SCO to regional security drills and counterterrorism. China’s Victory Day parade, attended by leaders like Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, underscored Beijing’s power projection, but the SCO’s rigid structure and regional focus hinder its global economic influence.
China and India: Strategic Balancing Acts
China plays a dual game: in the SCO, it flexes military and diplomatic muscle, positioning itself as a Global South leader against U.S. tariffs; in BRICS+, it adopts a collaborative approach, prioritizing economic alternatives to Western systems. India, a rising power, leverages BRICS+ to amplify its global economic influence, advocating for multipolarity and financial autonomy. In the SCO, India’s role is constrained by Pakistan’s presence and China’s dominance, yet it uses the platform to access Central Asian markets and counterbalance Beijing. Recent Modi-Xi talks in Tianjin signalled a thaw, with pledges to resolve border disputes and boost trade, partly driven by shared pressures from Trump’s tariffs.
India’s Interests and Opportunities
For India, BRICS+ is a strategic springboard to enhance its global stature. The New Development Bank supports infrastructure development, aligning with India’s growth ambitions, while de-dollarisation efforts bolster financial independence. In the SCO, India secures energy access and regional security cooperation but faces challenges from China’s overreach and Pakistan’s rivalry. By engaging both blocs, India hedges its bets, balancing economic aspirations in BRICS+ with pragmatic security interests in the SCO, positioning itself as a pivotal Global South player.
The Global South’s Crossroads
BRICS+ and SCO embody divergent paths: BRICS+ drives economic transformation, challenging Western financial dominance with a unified Global South vision; the SCO, despite its vast reach, remains a regional security bloc, hampered by internal fractures. Trump’s tariffs have galvanized BRICS+’s resolve, with Brazil’s emergency meeting signalling a collective pushback. The SCO, while symbolically potent, lacks the economic heft to rival BRICS+. The Global South seeks agency in a multipolar world, and BRICS+ offers a transformative platform, while the SCO ensures regional stability. As power tides shift definitively south, the shores, BRICS or SCO remain to be decided.