Summit of Discord: 5 Takeaways from the Meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Leaders
China, India, russia, and Pakistan, instead of demonstrating unity, announced sharp political disagreements
Leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) countries gather at annual summits to discuss the joint construction of a multipolar world. However, this year, India held the meeting in an unconventional short virtual format for the SCO and criticised its partners.
Mind offers to consider five key outcomes of the SCO summit held on 4 July 2023.
India Overwhelms SCO
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is the largest regional association comprising China, India, russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Iran, which was accepted as a member this year. These nine countries cover almost the entire territory of Asia, with over 40% of the world's population.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who assumed the chairmanship of the SCO, was expected to make the summit of this organisation as significant as the upcoming G-20 summit scheduled for September. Earlier, in February 2023, China and russia delegations in India blocked a joint statement by G-20 finance ministers condemning russia's invasion of Ukraine. Analysts speculated that the Indian Prime Minister would warmly welcome putin and Xi Jinping and try to incline them towards a compromise with the West for the September G-20 meeting.
"The SCO summit would have been a convenient venue for Mr. Modi to negotiate a resolution with his counterparts. However, India’s decision to postpone the SCO summit due to the Prime Minister’s U.S. State visit, and then to turn it into a virtual summit may have been a dampener on the SCO outcomes. India’s concerns with hosting Xi Jinping given the LAC hostilities, or Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif’s possible ‘grandstanding’, or even the optics of welcoming russian president vladimir putin may have been factors. Whatever the reason, while the members hammered out a New Delhi declaration and joint statements on radicalisation and digital transformation, the government was unable to forge consensus on other agreements including one on making English a formal SCO language, while India, despite being Chair, did not endorse a road map on economic cooperation," writes The Hindu, an Indian outlet.
Indeed, SCO members did not support India's proposal to make English the organisation's third official language alongside russian and Chinese. In turn, India refused to sign the SCO's Economic Development Strategy for the period up to 2030 due to references to China's political initiatives in the document.
India Highlights the Rift with China
The SCO summit provided an opportunity for India to engage in dialogue with its neighbours to find paths towards reconciliation and cooperation. However, Narendra Modi used his position as the chairperson to subtly accuse Pakistan of organising terrorist attacks with China's tacit approval.
"Some countries use cross-border terrorism as an instrument in sync with their policy. SCO must not hesitate to criticise such countries," quoted the Times of India Narendra Modi's address to SCO participants.
The Indian Prime Minister clearly expressed the contradictions with China at the SCO summit. Narendra Modi once again expressed dissatisfaction with China's "One Belt, One Road" initiative, which involves the construction of ports, roads, and power stations. India considers the territories of Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir, which are under Pakistan's control, as its own, and it is bothered by China's intention to develop these regions.
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan Accuse SCO of Ineffectiveness
Leaders of Central Asian countries at the SCO summit focused their speeches on economic issues.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan, expressed regret that no major economic projects had been implemented under the auspices of the organisation in the past 20 years. Sadyr Japarov, President of Kyrgyzstan, echoed his sentiments.
"Unfortunately, for a long time, we have not made progress in addressing… important issues of the trade and economic component of our organisation (SCO)," reproached Sadyr Japarov.
putin Forced to Restore His Image
The virtual SCO summit marked putin's first international appearance following the wagner group mercenaries' mutiny. russian president used his speech at the SCO to convince Asian leaders of russia's stability.
"In the current situation, our country continues to develop steadily. The russian people are more united than ever. The political circles and society as a whole have clearly demonstrated unity and a high sense of responsibility for the fate of the motherland by standing together against the attempt at an armed coup," quoted TASS agency, citing putin.
putin is being criticised for his slowness in responding to the situation. On the day of the wagner group mutiny, he took too long to address the threat, undermining his image as an all-knowing and all-powerful leader. Within a day, on June 24, the rebels had almost reached the kremlin. Subsequently, according to CIA Director William Burns, putin lost the ability to instil confidence and fear in the security institutions he relied on: the army, police, and intelligence services.
As emphasised by William Burns, regardless of what putin does now, he will continue to lose control over the security structures, making russia increasingly unpredictable. The discontent with the war in Ukraine, which is growing, will continue to corrode russian power, despite propaganda and repression. As a result, putin will be stripped of power by desperate, opportunistic forces who have identified his vulnerability.
Asia Concerned About Afghanistan
The biggest disappointment of the SCO summit, as reported by the Indian outlet Deccan Chronicle, was the minimal pressure exerted by Asian countries on putin to end the war he initiated in Ukraine.
SCO leaders believe that the surge of extremism in Afghanistan poses a threat to their security. In this regard, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed providing economic assistance to appease the Taliban. He called on SCO nations to help the new Afghan government establish a broad and inclusive political structure that would pursue moderate domestic and foreign policies.
President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan warned that the Taliban cannot be trusted and suggested that SCO countries should defend themselves from Afghanistan with a "reliable security belt" capable of thwarting potential terrorist incursions.
"Contrary to their statements, the Taliban are following the path of creating an Islamic emirate with rules that are foreign to the modern era and the government they formed consists of their members only," quoted RFE/RL, citing Emomali Rahmon.
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