Weekly update (1st to 7th September)

2025 China Victory parade

1. China victory parade

On 3 September 2025, China marked its WWII victory over Japan with a major parade in Tiananmen Square. Over 12,000 PLA troops marched as Beijing showcased the DF-61 ICBM, a nuclear triad, and new hypersonic missiles, signalling the closing technological gap with the West. The joint appearance of Xi, Putin, and Kim reinforced an anti-Western alignment, while India’s Modi skipped the parade despite attending the SCO summit days earlier to avoid straining ties with the West. With few Western leaders present, the event projected both strategic capability and alliance signalling, alongside domestic messaging to promote national pride amid economic pressures.

SCO summit 2025

2. SCO summit in Tianjin (31st August - 1 September)

The 2025 SCO Summit was held in Tianjin, China, from 31 August to 1 September, bringing together heads of state or government from all 10 member countries along with more than 20 guest states and international organizations. Attendees included Xi Jinping (China), Vladimir Putin (Russia), Narendra Modi (India), Masoud Pezeshkian (Iran), Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (Kazakhstan), Sadyr Japarov (Kyrgyzstan), Shehbaz Sharif (Pakistan), Emomali Rahmon (Tajikistan), Shavkat Mirziyoyev (Uzbekistan), and Alexander Lukashenko (Belarus). Notably, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended as a guest, reflecting Ankara’s effort to hedge between East and West despite NATO membership. Other non-member participants included Egypt, Malaysia, Laos, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, among others.

A key outcome was the decision to establish a SCO Development Bank to finance infrastructure, energy, and connectivity projects across the bloc. The summit also adopted the Tianjin Declaration, a Development Strategy through 2035, and plans for new SCO centers in security, anti-drug, and information cooperation.

3. Ukraine: Largest Air Strike Yet

Between 6 and 7 September 2025, Russia launched its largest combined drone and missile assault on Ukraine since the start of the war, with waves of strikes damaging infrastructure in Kyiv and other cities. France and several allies condemned the escalation, describing it as a deliberate attempt to overwhelm Ukraine’s defenses. Earlier in the week, a coalition of 26 countries pledged postwar security guarantees to Kyiv, signalling continued Western backing despite the length of the conflict. The attacks demonstrated Russia’s capacity to mount large-scale aerial operations and highlighted Ukraine’s pressing need for stronger air defense, as the war continues to reshape European security and global alignments.

4. Nepal civil unrest

In early September 2025, protests began in Nepal after the government banned access to major social media platforms including Facebook, X and YouTube. The move triggered large demonstrations led by young people and spread into wider unrest across Kathmandu and other cities. While the ban acted as the immediate spark, protesters were also motivated by long standing frustrations with corruption, poor governance and lack of accountability among political elites. Security forces clashed with demonstrators and rights groups raised concerns over the government’s heavy-handed response. The protests reflected both anger at restrictions on civil liberties and deep disillusionment with Nepal’s political establishment.