SCO Summit 2018: China's Growing Influence on the World Stage

Xi Jinping is a prominent Chinese politician born on June 15, 1953, in Fuping, Shaanxi Province. He is the son of Xi Zhongxun, a veteran of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). During the Cultural Revolution, Xi was sent to rural Yanchuan County, Shaanxi, where he eventually joined the CCP in 1974. He studied chemical engineering at Tsinghua University as a worker-peasant-soldier student and later earned a Doctor of Law degree from the university through an in-service graduate program in Marxist theory and ideological and political education[1][5]. Xi rose through the ranks of the CCP, serving as governor of Fujian from 1999 to 2002 and then as governor and party secretary of Zhejiang from 2002 to 2007. He briefly served as the party secretary of Shanghai in 2007 before joining the Politburo Standing Committee the same year. In 2012, he became the general secretary of the CCP and chairman of the Central Military Commission, marking the beginning of his tenure as China's paramount leader. Since 2013, Xi has also held the position of President of the People's Republic of China[1][3]. Under Xi's leadership, China has made significant strides in reducing poverty and curbing corruption. He has been praised for his efforts in these areas, which were highlighted in a historical resolution passed by the CCP in 2021[3]. Recent developments include Xi's re-election to a third term as general secretary of the CCP in October 2022 and his third term as president of China in March 2023, following constitutional changes that removed term limits for the presidency[3]. Xi's influence has been further solidified by the composition of the 20th Politburo Standing Committee, which consists of his loyalists[3].

Vladimir Putin is the current President of Russia, a position he has held for multiple terms since 2000, with a brief interlude as Prime Minister from 2008 to 2012[1][3]. Born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) in 1952, Putin began his career in the Soviet Union’s security services, joining the KGB in 1975 and rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel by the time he left in 1991, following postings in East Germany and Leningrad[4]. After the Soviet Union’s collapse, he transitioned into politics, serving as an adviser to Saint Petersburg Mayor Anatoly Sobchak and later moving to Moscow, where he held various administrative roles under President Boris Yeltsin[6]. Putin was appointed Prime Minister in August 1999 and became acting President when Yeltsin unexpectedly resigned that December[3][6]. He won his first presidential election in March 2000, promising to stabilize Russia’s economy and political system after the tumultuous 1990s[3][7]. During his initial terms, he centralized power, reasserted federal control over Russia’s regions, and curtailed the influence of the country’s oligarchs through legal and economic measures[7]. Putin was re-elected in 2004 but, due to constitutional term limits, stepped aside in 2008, becoming Prime Minister under his successor Dmitry Medvedev, while retaining significant influence[3]. Constitutional amendments later extended presidential terms, and Putin returned to the presidency in 2012[1]. Putin’s time in office has been marked by assertive foreign policy, including military interventions in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad and the 2014 annexation of Crimea, which led to international sanctions[1]. Domestically, his tenure has seen increased state control over media, the suppression of political opposition, and constitutional changes consolidating executive authority[1]. In 2022, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine triggered a major international crisis, further isolating Russia from the West and prompting widespread condemnation[1]. As of 2025, Putin remains a dominant figure in Russian politics, having secured another term in office through constitutional changes that allow him to potentially remain president until 2036[1]. His leadership continues to shape Russia’s domestic trajectory and its role in global affairs, amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine and strained relations with NATO and Western countries[1].

Narendra Damodardas Modi, born September 17, 1950, in Vadnagar, Gujarat, is the current Prime Minister of India and a leading figure in the country’s political landscape[1][4]. He is the first Indian prime minister born after India’s independence in 1947[5][7]. Modi’s early life was marked by modest beginnings in a lower-middle-class family, and he became involved with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindu nationalist organization, at a young age[2][4]. His political career began in earnest when he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 1980s, rising through its ranks due to his organizational skills and grassroots appeal[2][4]. Modi’s first major political role was as Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014, where he was known for pro-business policies and infrastructure development, though his tenure was also controversial due to the 2002 Gujarat riots, for which he faced criticism but was later cleared by a Supreme Court-appointed investigation[4]. In 2014, Modi led the BJP to a decisive national victory, becoming Prime Minister and ending a long period of coalition governments[1][2]. He was re-elected in 2019 and again in 2024, making him one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers and the first outside the Indian National Congress to achieve such longevity[4][2]. As Prime Minister, Modi has pursued sweeping economic reforms, including the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to simplify India’s tax system and the demonetization of high-value currency notes to combat corruption[1][6]. He has launched initiatives like “Make in India” to boost manufacturing, “Digital India” to expand internet access, and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (Self-Reliant India) to reduce import dependency, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic[6]. His government has also implemented large-scale welfare programs such as Ayushman Bharat (health insurance for the poor), Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (financial inclusion), and Ujjwala Yojana (clean cooking fuel for rural households)[5]. Modi’s tenure has seen a marked shift in India’s foreign policy, with increased global engagement, strategic partnerships, and advocacy for a permanent UN Security Council seat[3]. Domestically, his leadership has been associated with a rise in Hindu nationalist sentiment and policies appealing to the Hindu majority[1]. While his economic reforms have expanded the tax base and modernized infrastructure, critics point to challenges such as unemployment and rising living costs[1]. Modi remains a central and polarizing figure in Indian politics, with his policies and persona continuing to shape the nation’s direction into the mid-2020s[2][4].