Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping praised the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) as a key pillar of global stability at a summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. The SCO, originally founded in 2001 with Russia, China, and Central Asian nations, now includes India, Iran, and Pakistan as a counterweight to Western influence. Both leaders emphasized that their cooperation was not directed against anyone but rather in the interests of their peoples.
Xi described the relationship between China and Russia as a “no limits” partnership, deepened by recent developments including Putin’s visit to Beijing before sending troops into Ukraine. Both leaders believe that the U.S.-dominated post-Cold War era is ending, with U.S. President Joe Biden framing the century as a competition between democracies and autocracies.
At the summit, the SCO focused on common approaches to security threats such as drug trafficking and domestic instability. The leaders also discussed issues around missile defense and criticized NATO expansion without explicitly mentioning Ukraine. Xi also highlighted economic cooperation by presiding over a ceremony for the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, seen as a competitive alternative to land transit via Russia.
The summit saw the addition of Belarus as a full member of the SCO, with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also in attendance. The leaders’ discussions reflected a shared commitment to global stability and the establishment of a multipolar world order.
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