The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), comprising nine member states, spans over 60 percent of Eurasia's area, represents 40 percent of the world's population, and accounts for 30 percent of the global GDP. Despite its significant presence, the SCO often remains a mystery to the West.
Since 2006, when the U.S. Congress first examined the SCO, Western perspectives have frequently questioned whether the organization poses a challenge. Richard Boucher, the then-Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, highlighted concerns about the SCO's political influence, particularly its ability to dictate regional interactions with third countries like the United States. This line of inquiry has persisted without definitive answers.
However, the reality is that the SCO is not a challenge to the West—it's simply different. Zoon Ahmed Khan, a research fellow at the Center for China and Globalization, explains, \"There are member states within the SCO that have bilateral differences. There are certain challenges that we all face. And when we are not united, we are unable to address and find a common denominator.\"
One of the SCO's distinguishing features is its decision-making process, which grants veto rights to all member states. This contrasts sharply with many Western-led institutions. For instance, in the International Monetary Fund, a single country like the United States holds approximately 17 percent of the voting power, allowing it to influence or overturn policy decisions unilaterally. Similarly, NATO's decision-making is nominally consensus-based, but the U.S.'s military strength often renders other members dependent.
In the SCO, major powers like Russia, the Chinese mainland, India, and Iran hold significant but balanced influence. Sergei Vergeichik, an analyst at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies, notes, \"The attractiveness of the SCO lies in its principle, which ensures equality among all member states. Therefore, all members are equal.\" This equality fosters negotiation and consensus-building, allowing diverse nations to collaborate effectively.
The SCO is deeply rooted in Eurasian interests, originating from border negotiations between the Chinese mainland, Russia, and three Central Asian countries. Its inaugural summit in 2001 established the Shanghai Convention against Terrorism, Separatism, and Extremism, positioning the organization as a proactive force in maintaining regional security long before such issues became prevalent in Western discourse. Sourabh Gupta, a senior fellow at the Institute for China-America Studies in Washington, describes the SCO as \"a kind of defensive mechanism to ensure that these did not radiate and spill across borders.\"
Beyond security, the SCO is expanding its cooperative efforts. In 2023, it adopted the SCO Economic Development Strategy for 2030, outlining plans to deepen collaboration in trade, investment, connectivity, scientific and technological innovation, energy, and agriculture. Cultural and educational exchanges are also on the rise, with initiatives like 1,000 International Chinese Language Teacher Scholarships and 3,000 \"Chinese Bridge\" summer camps. Additionally, nearly half of the world's population within the SCO member states is committed to addressing climate change, advocating for a balanced approach that reduces carbon emissions while supporting economic growth in less developed regions.
In essence, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a regional powerhouse focused on ensuring peace, security, and cooperative development across Eurasia. It aims to address the specific needs of its member states through collaboration rather than competition, demonstrating that it is not a challenge to the West but a distinct entity with its own objectives and methods.
Reference(s):
Different, not a challenge: Things the West doesn't get about the SCO
cgtn.com
