Key takeaways as China urges solidarity with Russia, India and other Shanghai Cooperation allies
CBSN
New Delhi — China's Xi Jinping urged the leaders of Russia, Iran and other allied allies to boost ties and resist Western sanctions on Tuesday as the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization met virtually for a summit hosted by India. The Shanghai alliance encompasses a vast stretch of the globe from Moscow to Beijing and includes around half the world's population when observer and "dialogue partner" nations are included.
Alongside Russia, China, India and brand-new member Iran, the other full members of the trade and security alliance are Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Russian ally Belarus, which holds observer status, was also told it would become a member at the next SCO summit.
Below are some of the main points made by the bloc's leaders on Tuesday, and what's behind them.

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