Xi, Modi, Putin at SCO: More than just a show of strength againt the US? | DW News

Key Concepts:

• Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO): A political, economic, and security alliance covering 40% of the world's population.
• Multipolar World: Xi Jinping's vision of a world order not dominated by a single superpower (i.e., the United States).
• "Dragon and Elephant Dancing": A metaphor for improved relations and partnership between China and India.
• Axis of Upheaval: A label given to the SCO by some Western analysts, suggesting it is a force for instability.
• Anti-American Sentiment: A common thread uniting many SCO member states.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit

• Agreement and Participants: World leaders, including Russia's Vladimir Putin and India's Narendra Modi, joined China's Xi Jinping at the SCO summit, signing an agreement to strengthen security and economic ties.
• China's Role: China aims for the SCO to play a larger role on the global stage, potentially challenging US dominance. Xi Jinping presented China as a reliable global ally, offering financial support, lunar exploration partnerships, and AI development cooperation.
• Declaration: The declaration signed by leaders pledged to uphold the "common good for the world."
• India-China Relations: Despite long-standing grievances, India and China declared themselves partners, not rivals, with the sentiment that "the dragon elephant dancing together should be the right choice for both sides."
• Putin's Narrative on Ukraine: Vladimir Putin reiterated his narrative that the Ukraine crisis resulted from a Western-supported coup d'état, not Russia's invasion.
• Military Parade: Leaders are heading to Beijing for a military parade marking the end of World War II in Asia, viewed as a show of strength and a challenge to US military dominance.

Xi Jinping's Vision and the SCO's Significance

• Reshaping Global Order: Clifford Kunan (DW's China analyst) states that Xi Jinping sees the SCO as an opportunity to reshape the global world order, gathering countries united primarily by their opposition to the United States.
• Narrative Creation: The SCO and similar alliances like BRICS are seen as vehicles for creating a narrative of strength and unity, even if substantive economic deals are lacking.
• Multipolar World and Anti-American Sentiment: Xi Jinping's vision of a multipolar world involves challenging what he sees as "cold war mentality" and "bullying behavior" from the United States, particularly in the context of the ongoing trade war.
• Historical Narrative: Xi is keen to create a narrative of the Chinese Communist Party's role in World War II, despite its historically marginal involvement. This aligns with Putin's narrative and the upcoming military parade.

India-China Relations: Display vs. Substance

• Opportunity for Closer Ties: Despite massive border disputes and trade disagreements, the SCO provides an opportunity for China to cement closer relations with India, especially given India's perceived mistreatment by the US regarding trade tariffs.
• Trade Concerns: India worries about a flood of Chinese goods and the lack of reciprocal access for Indian goods in the Chinese market.
• Anti-American Line: The primary common ground between India and China remains their shared anti-American sentiment.

Russia's War in Ukraine and International Legitimacy

• China's Support for Russia: China's support for Russia in the Ukraine war is evident, providing Putin with international legitimacy and a platform to reiterate his narrative without pushback.
• Putin's International Profile: The SCO summit offers Putin a rare opportunity to gain international profile, given his limited travel options due to Western isolation.

SCO: Axis of Upheaval?

• Optics vs. Substance: While the SCO may appear as an "axis of upheaval," the actual substance of the alliance is questionable, with limited potential for genuine cooperation beyond opposition to the US.
• Lack of Landmark Agreements: The current state of international relations is characterized by the formation of blocs and "us against them" mentalities, rather than landmark agreements.

Notable Quotes:

• Xi Jinping: "Uphold fairness and justice. Promote the correct view of World War II history and oppose cold war mentality, camp confrontation and bullying behavior."
• Xi Jinping: "Being friendly neighbors and mutually supportive partners, and realizing the dragon elephant dancing together should be the right choice for both sides."
• Vladimir Putin: "Let me remind you in this regard that this crisis arose not as a result of Russia's attack on Ukraine but as a result of the coup d'etatar in Ukraine which was supported and provoked by the west."
• Clifford Kunan: "This is Xiinping's opportunity to reshape the global world order."

Technical Terms and Concepts:

• SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization): A Eurasian political, economic, security, and military alliance.
• BRICS: An acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, representing a group of emerging economies.
• Multipolar World: A world order with multiple centers of power, as opposed to a unipolar world dominated by one superpower.

Conclusion:

The SCO summit highlights China's ambition to reshape the global order and challenge US dominance by uniting countries with shared anti-American sentiments. While the alliance presents a united front, the actual substance of cooperation beyond this opposition remains questionable. The summit also provides a platform for Russia to gain international legitimacy amidst its war in Ukraine and for India and China to explore closer ties despite existing tensions. The long-term impact of the SCO on global geopolitics remains to be seen, but it signifies a shift towards a more multipolar world.