Chinese view on the expansion of the shanghai cooperation organization

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Chinese view on the expansion of the shanghai cooperation organization

Founded in 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) now has China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as its full members, with Afghanistan, Belarus, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan as observers, and Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey as dialogue partners. The official founding declaration asserted that the main objective of the organization was to combat the so-called three evil forces: international terrorism, ethnic separatism and religious extremism. The organization has been interpreted in a variety of ways since its inception. One group of analysts agree with the views of the governments of the SCO member states that the organization is primarily focused on internal security problems in the region. [1] Most Chinese analysts express the same view that the SCO is a regional organization of non-traditional security. [2] Western interpretations are quite different, as they argue that the SCO constituted a joint effort by a group of authoritarian states to defend themselves against regime change in the face of a regional democratic trend. [3]

Most analysts agree that this regional organization is largely a Chinese initiative and that China plays a leading role in the SCO process. [4] Some analysts suggest that China attempted to enter and to manage this region via a multilateral approach. China is using the SCO for implementation of the �Beijing Consensus� in Central Asia. Since the political values and foreign policy are one of the three sources of the Chinese soft power, the SCO has gradually become the main mechanism or guide for China's policy in Central Asia. Along with the Central Asian countries the organization includes Russia, which allows to significantly mitigate the perception of China in the Central Asian region as a threat. Also, the SCO provides a good framework for China to cooperate closely in combating terrorism, extremism, separatism and various other cross-border criminal forces. The primary target of the Chinese anti-terrorism campaign is the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which advocates for the independence of Xinjiang. From the Chinese perspective, in the framework of the SCO it is of particular importance for China to be able to count on the support of the other nine member and observer states in its campaign against the ETIM. Moreover, China has also been able to draw support from the SCO partners in its efforts to frustrate other conventional or non-conventional security threats and to eliminate or to ease the external factors of disruption to China's stability and development. [5]

China employs the SCO as a vehicle to expand its influence in its immediate neighborhood where it does not have any solid historical and cultural foundation, as opposed to Russia, which long had Central Asia as a part of Tsarist Russia and later as a part of the Soviet Union for about 200 years. Therefore, China was not generally interested in inviting new members to join the organization because it was more concerned with consolidating cooperation with the existing members, particularly the Central Asian states. Beijing was equally interested in the development of security aspect as well as economic ties. China held great hopes for the ability of the SCO to organize multilateral economic cooperation. Beijing wanted to use the SCO in order to export its products, labor and capital to the neighboring countries. For this purpose China offered a variety of projects: from an introduction of a free trade zone [6] to the establishment of the SCO Development Bank. [7] However, all these initiatives were blocked by the other members of the organization. When commenting on the Regulations on Observer States of the SCO in June 2004 Secretary General of the SCO, Zhang Deguang, stated that the priority for the SCO was not enlargement but more substantial international cooperation and development. [8] As summarized by S. Kushkumbayev, unless clear parameters of the economic interaction within the framework of the SCO are established, Beijing would not be interested in expanding the SCO membership to include the states of South-East Asia. [9]

Beijing has offered a number of programs on investments into the SCO states from the assets of the organization on a bilateral basis. [10] Other economic projects were not carried out within the framework of the SCO. The crisis of 2014, and the sanctions against Russia considerably damaged the economic situation in Russia and the entire Central Asian region prompting the need for investments. In this light, China immediately suggested the establishment of the Silk Road Fund. All these factors have a positive impact on the fact that China, relying on the SCO as a base platform, put forward a new initiative, the creation of the �New Silk Road Economic Belt� and the �21st century Marine Silk Road� in 2013. At the moment, the initiative is called �One Belt, One Road�. Consequently, the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), a regional organization, initially created with the aim to protect itself from excessive economic influence of China, has changed its direction toward the interface with the Chinese initiative. [11]

The Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Uzbekistan signed memorandums joining the organization in India and Pakistan in 2016. According to participants of the summit, it will bring the SCO to the next level. Meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in an expanded format in Tashkent.

The SCO countries will share their experience in dealing with the economic crisis

The summit declaration adopted on the basis of the parties reflected the approaches to the further development of the association and expressed consolidated opinion on topical issues of the international agenda. In particular, the SCO leaders noted geopolitical tensions and the importance of the fight against terrorism. Following the summit, the participants adopted the Tashkent Declaration fifteenth anniversary of the SCO. One of the main themes of the document was the fight against terrorism and extremism that pose a growing threat to all countries of the world.

�The rapidly changing situation in the world is characterized by increased geopolitical tensions, the growing scale of terrorism, separatism and extremism, negative impact on the entire system of international relations�, - stated in the Tashkent Declaration. Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the summit about the need to build the capacity of the SCO regional anti-terrorist structure.

�Of course, the main direction of the overall activity is to provide common security in the SCO space. It is necessary to further strengthen the potential of the regional anti-terrorist structure, improve the coordination of law enforcement agencies within the UN and other international organizations to accelerate the preparation of the draft convention of the SCO to combat extremism�, - said Putin at a meeting of heads of SCO member states in an enlarged format.

In particular, the organization is necessary to counteract the terrorist threat, which comes from Afghanistan, the president said. He also stated the need to update the anti-drug strategy of the SCO and its implementation program.

The summit participants were in favor of preserving the territorial integrity, unity, sovereignty and stability in Syria. The political settlement of the situation in the country has no alternative and allow the Syrian people to determine their own future, the Tashkent Declaration. The heads of the SCO member stressed the need as soon as possible to stabilize the situation in the Middle East and North Africa by the political crisis in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter and international law.

An important factor in strengthening security in the region in a declaration called the early realization of peace and stability in Afghanistan. The SCO member states support the settlement of the �Afghan conflict through the promotion of an inclusive process of national reconciliation and proceed from the fact that these efforts should be undertaken under the leadership of the Afghans and by the Afghans themselves�.

The summit participants also reaffirmed the importance of a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine on the basis of good performance of the Minsk agreements. In the declaration, the parties opposed the unilateral strengthening of missile defense systems. Such actions are to ensure �their own security at the expense of others� threaten regional and international stability, the document says.

SCO leaders signed a memorandum on the obligations of the Indian and Pakistani counterparts on the accession to the Convention of association, mandatory for each of its Member States. The procedure for admission of India and Pakistan to the SCO was launched in 2015.

�We expect that our partners will be able to pass the rest of the way as quickly as possible to our next meeting in Kazakhstan�, - he said at the summit, the Russian president. He noted that now it is necessary to begin work on the incorporation of India and Pakistan in the working mechanisms of cooperation within the SCO.

The establishment of the �New Silk Road Economic Belt� has solved an issue of the future enlargement of the SCO membership. Based on Russia's proposal, the SCO leaders passed a resolution on starting the procedures of granting India and Pakistan full membership of the organization at the 15th SCO summit in Ufa, Russia in 2015. Pakistan applied for a full membership in 2006 and India in 2014. There are enough reasons explaining Pakistan's enthusiasm to become an SCO member. It has strong political, economic and security motivations. Foreseeing that the SCO membership may further strengthen its ties with China, a longstanding `all weather' ally is equally important. [12] On the other hand, China is happy to see its ally as part of the organization. It understands that the admission of Pakistan alone is unacceptable to Russia. Analysts believe that India's bid to join the SCO is supported by Russia, as Russian policymakers believe that it would be easier to constrain China's influence on the SCO with India as a full member. [13] As for China, it had no reason to welcome a potential competitor into an organization where it played a leading role until the admission of Pakistan. Both India and Pakistan were admitted to the SCO inciting rivalry within the organization.

The stance reflected in two documents relating the procedure of admitting new members mainly represents a passive Chinese response to the enthusiastic membership requests expressed by some states. It, by no means, implies that the SCO members have a specific enlargement plan in mind, let alone a consensus. A combination of new members and a determination to make the organization a genuinely important and influential bloc is likely to ensure that the further development and expansion of the SCO. The ambition to create a truly dominant organization free of any Western influence may become a reality in the near future. It is quite easy to set up formal multilateral organization. However, whether this organization can or cannot have a real effect on international relations is another matter. In this institutional dimension, China has more freedom to play, since its partners do not treat the issue as a priority. Russia and the Central Asian states understand the utility that the SCO provides to them. This multilateral institution is also helping China and Russia to regulate their interactions in Central Asia. China will not give up its attempt to play the leading role because it has huge stakes riding on it, including its international reputation and credibility.

References

shanghai cooperation economic chinese

[1] Aris, S. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization: �tackling the three evils�. A regional response to non-traditional security challenges or an anti-Western bloc? Europe-Asia Studies. 61 (3), 2009, p. 462.

[2] �]��?. ��C����??�D??�w����s (Yu Jianhua. Studies on the Nontraditional Security of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization). Shanghai: ��C�Љ�?�����o�Ŏ�, 2009.

[3] Cooley, A. The League of Authoritarian Gentlemen. http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/01/30/the-league-of-authoritarian-gentlemen/

[4] Chung, C.P. China and the institutionalization of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Problems of Post-Communism, 53 (5), 2006, pp. 3-14; Guang, P. A new diplomatic model: a Chinese Perspective on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Washington Journal of Modern China 9 (1), 2008, pp. 55-72. Yuan, J.D. China's role in the establishing and building the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Journal of Contemporary China, 19 (67), 2010, pp.855-869;

[5] Alyson J.K. Bailes, P�l Dunay, Pan Guang, Mikhail Troitskiy. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization. SIPRI Policy Paper No. 17, pp. 45-58.

[6]��C����??�إߦۥ�?��?�i��ʤ��R. ?��??�G2013-12-12 16:14:38��ҁF?�G?�峹?���G?��?�p�A?��?�B��?�D?�m�W���X�@???�i?�i�]2013�j�t�C�Љ�Ȋw�����o�Ŏ�2013�N9����1�ŁBhttp://studysco.cass.cn/shyj/jjhz/201311/t20131125_880359.html

[7]�㍇?????��-�����S�ʋ��Z�O��I�V?�Q. ?��?��s 2014.09.19 �� 126 ��. http://www.icbc.com.cn/SiteCollectionDocuments/ICBC/Resources/ICBC/fengmao/download/2014/shanghezuzhikaifayinhang.pdf

[8] Renmin Ribao (People's Daily), 16 June 2004.

[9] S. Kushkumbaev. The development of SCO as a regional organization: a potential of expansion. http://kisi.kz/en/categories/geopolitics-and-international-affairs/posts/the-development-of-sco-as-a-regional-organization-a-pot

[10] Wang Haiyan. Regional Economic Cooperation in Central Asia under the Framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Journal of Xinjiang Normal University (Social Sciences). �2. June, 2008.

[11]��?�H���@�M?�O�X?��?��?�_??����???��?�M?????����??���X�@��?�X?���]����^(�Joint statement between the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China on cooperation in construction of conjugation of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Silk Road Economic Belt�) http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/web/ziliao_674904/zt_674979/dnzt_674981/qtzt/ydyl_675049/zyxw_675051/t1262143.shtml

[12] Song, W. Interests, Power and China's Difficult Game in the SCO. Journal of Contemporary China, 23 (85), 2014, pp.85-101;

[13] Roy, M.S. Dynamics of expanding the SCO. http://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/DynamicsofExpandingtheSCO_msroy_040411

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