A Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on 31 August and 1 September will be a chance for Xi Jinping to stand with his Russian and Indian counterparts and give the impression of order beyond chaos in Washington. But the SCO claims to offer a vision for regional security and economic order greater than its backroom dealings and photo opportunities. The propaganda organs of China’s party-state will tightly control media coverage and try to shape SCO announcements to align with Xi Jinping Thought. Amid lofty pledges of support for Afghanistan’s stability and reconstruction, the SCO’s members are divided on how to deal with the Taliban regime. But most of the SCO’s members appreciate the risks of aligning too closely with strategic liabilities, such as the Islamist regime in Tehran.