Leaders from Asia, Europe and Africa will gather in the northern Chinese port city of Tianjin from August 31 to September 1 for the largest-ever Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in history, charting the blueprint for the bloc's next decade of development. President Xi Jinping will attend the summit and host relevant events.

Primarily born to address security concerns, the organization has grown over 24 years into a comprehensive regional organization representing nearly half of the world's population. Here are facts to know about the organization.