Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed leaders of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) participating nations on Monday at the opening of the SCO summit in Tianjin.

Speaking at a round table with leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin and India's Prime Minster Narendra Modi, Xi expressed China's willingness to work with SCO members, who face "increasingly arduous tasks in ensuring security and development."

The 10-member group that gathered from Sunday in the port city of Tianjin and has grown in size and influence over the past 24 years, even while its goals and programs remain murky and name recognition low.

The full membership includes Russia, Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Originally seen as a foil to U.S. influence in Central Asia, the original organization picked up four new members with the addition of India and Pakistan in 2017, Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024.

Speaking on Monday, Xi pledged that China would provide "RMB 2 billion in grant assistance to member states. Over the next three years, China will issue an additional RMB 10 billion in loans to members of the banking consortium."

Xi also said that member states should respect differences while maintaining cooperative relationships.

"SCO member states are all friends and partners," Xi said.