You might not have heard of it before,
but in this part of the world, uh it is
a hugely big deal. It's bringing
together leaders from 26 countries
broadly to talk about security and
development issues. But when you take
those countries in the round, uh they
account for 43% of the global
population. So very very big and very
influential indeed. Some people are
calling it uh the axis of upheaval. And
when you look at the guest list, you can
understand why they might be saying
that. We've got leaders here uh from
Russia, from Iran, India, uh Pakistan,
Turkey, Bellarus, uh the list uh goes
on. Um it's not a sort of a formal
alliance as such. It's not like NATO.
It's not like these countries will share
in any sort of mutually uh dependent
security packs or anything like that and
real tangible agreements. Perhaps a
little unlikely just given the different
interests around the table. But what
this summit will do is provide really
striking optics about China's ability to
convene these powers at a time that
arguably some are saying that America
cannot and people will absolutely be
watching on uh from the west and some of
this really sort of the optics around it
designed to rattle some of those looking
on uh from the west. Now, one of the key
things people will be looking out for is
of course Vladimir Putin and if there is
anything to be said about the war in
Ukraine and of course Donald Trump's
recent efforts uh to try and forge a
type of peace. Putin comes into this
summit uh boyed up I think confident uh
most certainly and he is here to to
really shore up uh support uh from those
countries who have had his back through
uh this conflict. China for its part it
always says that it's neutral on uh the
Ukraine war but it has um over the
months and years been supplying Russia
with not just markets for its oil and
gas but uh components and crucial
diplomatic cover as well. So I think
there will definitely be efforts behind
the scenes to make sure those two
countries singing from the same himsh
sheet when it comes to Ukraine. Just
worth saying you know China does have
some interest in that war uh concluding
look it doesn't like instability. It's
certainly interested in some of the
contracts to rebuild Ukraine. Uh but
China wouldn't want to see any sort of
conclusion that made Putin look weak or
that made Trump look too successful or
too victorious. Um I think the other
thing to really watch out for is the
fact that India's Narendra Modi is also
here. Remember there is absolutely no
love lost between the world's uh two
most populous countries. They share a
border. There's a bitter border dispute
that spiraled over into violence in
2020. But this comes at a time where the
Trump Modi relationship has really
soured. Uh India subject to some 50%
taxes on its goods. So, China really
welcoming with open arms those for whom
some say Trump is pushing away and that
that really suits China. But look, I
think fundamentally underpinning uh this
whole summit is about China's power and
about China sort of burnishing its
credentials as a global leader. It has
been carefully uh calculatedly making
these moves showing the world that it it
could lead a new type of international
order if indeed Trump wants to rip up
the rule book. It's absolutely happy uh
to step into that void.