Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping met Wednesday in Kazakhstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. This marks their second meeting in two months. In May, Putin visited Beijing to strengthen their partnership opposing the U.S.-led democratic order and promoting a multipolar world.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Established in 2001 by China and Russia, the SCO addresses security concerns in Central Asia. Its members include Iran, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Observer states and dialogue partners like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt also participate. Notable attendees include President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Belarus, becoming a full member, will have President Alexander Lukashenko attending. Iran, currently choosing a successor to President Ebrahim Raisi, will send acting President Mohammad Mokhbar.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend, sending his foreign minister instead. Reports suggest Modi is busy with the parliament session and balancing India’s relations with Russia and the West.
Summit Goals
Putin aims to show Russia’s non-isolation despite Western sanctions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanction#:~:text=A%20sanction%20may%20be%20either,word%20is%20an%20auto%2Dantonym. from the 2022 Ukraine invasion. An ICC arrest warrant for war crimes looms over him, but Kazakhstan is not obligated to arrest him. For Putin, the summit represents prestige and symbolic support. Russian state TV aired multiple meetings Putin held with other leaders.
During their meeting, Putin praised the SCO as a pillar of a fair, multipolar world and celebrated strong Moscow-Beijing ties. Xi and Putin face increasing Western tensions and have met around 40 times. Their May meeting highlighted Beijing’s diplomatic support for Moscow, a major market for Russian oil and gas, and a key source of high-tech imports.
The SCO allows China to project influence across Central Asia and the Global South. Xi promotes China as an alternative to the U.S. and its allies. Erdogan also met with Putin, balancing relations with both Russia and Ukraine. Kazakhstan and other Central Asian nations see the summit as a chance to cooperate with larger neighbors. Kazakhstan frequently engages with Russia and China while also pursuing Western links.
Key Discussions and Challenges
Countering terrorism is a central focus. Russia experienced terrorist attacks this year, with over 145 killed in Moscow in March and 21 in Dagestan in June. The U.S. warned Russia about the March attack, but Moscow dismissed it.
The SCO is not a collective security or economic alliance. Members have significant security differences. Its value lies in the optics of non-Western countries gathering. This year, Belarus’s full membership signifies Russia’s desire to strengthen non-Western blocs.
Political differences, such as between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, complicate collective agreements. China supports Russia in Ukraine, but India balances its stance. Central Asian countries maintain relations with Russia and China while staying neutral on the Ukraine conflict.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, also attending, aims to discuss Russia’s disruptive U.N. actions with Putin. While major breakthroughs on Ukraine are not expected, sideline discussions are likely. Putin will use the summit to show a “big club” of countries ambivalent toward the Ukraine war. Read also https://heed.news/wp-admin/post.php?post=3672&action=edit
