President Xi Jinping on Sunday called for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to play a bigger role in protecting regional peace and stability, as he held up China as a stable power that will champion the developing world.

Hosting dozens of state leaders to a welcome banquet as part of the SCO summit in the northern city of Tianjin, Xi said that the grouping had become an “important force in promoting the building of a new type of international relations”.

“At present, the world is undergoing a century-long change at an accelerated pace, and unstable, uncertain and unpredictable factors have increased significantly,” the Chinese leader said at the start of the banquet, according to state news agency Xinhua.

“The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has an even greater responsibility to maintain regional peace and stability and promote the development and prosperity of all countries.”

Xi’s remarks come amid efforts by China to present itself as a key leader of the developing world, with analysts earlier saying the SCO summit would give Beijing a chance to build solidarity with the Global South.

The summit also comes at a time when Beijing is working to rally support from other nations in reshaping the international order, as the United States under President Donald Trump shows signs of retreating from its global leadership role and is waging a worldwide trade war.