G7 vs SCO: Which bloc holds real power, can one stand up to the other?

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2025 kicked off in Tianjin, China, on Sunday (Aug 31), with dignitaries like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Russian President Vladimir Putin and others in attendance. The summit's packed agenda focuses on boosting unity and strengthening the voice of the Global South.The global summit comes on the heels of the June 2025 G7 summit, where leaders of seven advanced economies signed a statement supporting Israel's right to defend itself. Now, all eyes are on the SCO Summit, which observers believe will tackle key issues like enhancing security and reforming financial mechanisms. With the SCO summit underway, let's take a look at how SCO, and G7 match up.

'Voice of Global South' Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

The 2025 summit is China's fifth time hosting the SCO. Through the summit, China aims to help the SCO "enter a new stage of high-quality development characterised by greater solidarity, coordination, dynamism and productivity, and to make a greater contribution to building a community with a shared future for humanity", said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in a statement to People's Daily.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a security organisation consisting of 10 member countries - Belarus, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. While the bloc may not comprise the world's most developed nations, it boasts member nations that comprise a significant part of the world's population and GDP.

SCO is often seen as a voice for the "Global South" and a conscious attempt to build an alternative to the US-led international order. The organisation is known to back non-interference, sovereignty and a multipolar world.

'World's most advanced economies' G7

On the other hand, the Group of Seven (G7) nations are the world's most advanced economies. The G7 consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. While India is not a member nation, the South Asian nation has become a regular and influential invitee to the summit's "outreach sessions".

SCO vs G7

Economic power: While the G7 has traditionally held the economic advantage, the expanding SCO and BRICS blocs are gaining ground. The SCO's combined GDP, as per reports, is approaching that of the G7. The SCO grouping is also actively working to create alternative financial and trading systems to reduce reliance on the US dollar and Western-led institutions.

Political cohesion: The G7's strength lies in its shared values and deep-seated cooperation. It can act with a largely coherent voice on global issues. In contrast, the SCO, despite issuing joint declarations, is a much looser framework. Deep-seated rivalries and differing national interests among its members, such as between India and China, limit its ability to take unified, decisive action.

Military and security: The G7 is not a military alliance itself, but its members are at the core of NATO, a highly integrated and powerful military bloc. The SCO, while focused on security, is not a collective defense pact like NATO. Its members actively avoid a NATO-like alliance structure, and their military cooperation is more limited to counter-terrorism and regional security.