China's Xi pitches AI hub as SCO casts itself as pillar of stability

International relationsBeijing woos developing nations with promises of deeper tech coordination, projectsLeaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation pose for a photo before holding a summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on Sept. 1. (Sputnik/Vyacheslav Prokofyev/Pool via Reuters) CK TANSeptember 1, 2026 19:17 JSTTOKYO -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday urged Shanghai Cooperation Organization countries to play a greater role in steering the world and offered them AI cooperation, while presenting the Eurasian grouping as a bastion of "stability" in an uncertain world.