Shanghai Summit Builds Bridge for Global South Unity Amid Trump’s Trade War
According to the English section of webangah News Agency, citing mehr News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping told leaders from SCO member states and several other countries in Astana, Kazakhstan, in July 2024: “No mountain or ocean can separate people who share common ideals.”
At the time, this ancient chinese proverb seemed exaggerated and unrealistic. Narendra Modi, india’s Prime Minister and a key SCO member, did not attend the summit of heads of state, citing a parliamentary session-a move viewed as disregard for the bloc that had long been led by Beijing and Moscow.
However, one year later the geopolitical landscape looks very different: China is now hosting this annual meeting with numerous regional and global leaders present. Modi has traveled to China for the first time as 2018. The renewed warming of India-China ties that began late last year accelerated after former U.S.President Donald Trump imposed a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods-prompting New Delhi to seek stronger relations with Beijing and other Eurasian actors.
As much of the world grapples with turmoil caused by tariffs and threats from Trump’s governance, analysts expect this SCO summit will serve as a platform for Xi Jinping to promote China as a stabilizing force capable of uniting the “Global South” against the West-especially against Washington.
Last week during a press conference in Beijing, Liu Bin, China’s Vice Foreign Minister said this summit was likely “one of the most vital diplomatic events at leader level held on Chinese soil this year.”
Where is it held and who is attending?
This year’s meeting began on August 31 in Tianjin-a northern coastal city along Bohai Sea-and continues through September 1. liu told reporters more than twenty foreign heads of state along with ten heads of international organizations are attending.
The participants include leaders from SCO member states: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi; Russian President Vladimir Putin; Iranian President Masoud Barzani; Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif; belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko; Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev; Uzbekistani President Shavkat Mirziyoyev; Kyrgyzstan’s Sadyr Japarov; and Tajikistan’s Emomali Rahmon.
Other attendees include Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Myanmar Armed Forces Commander Min Aung Hlaing, Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo subianto (also referred to here as president), Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim,and Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres along with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn have also joined this year’s gathering.
Does the Shanghai Cooperation Organization matter?
The SCO originated in 1996 as a security bloc called “Shanghai Five.” It was founded by China, Russia,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,and Tajikistan aiming to resolve border disputes followingthe Cold Warand Soviet collapse.
In June 2001,it transformed into themodern Shanghai Cooperation Organization,and Uzbekistan joined soon after.The organization’s headquarters are basedin beijing.In2017IndiaandPakistanbecame members.Iranjoined fullyin2023,Belarusin2024.Additionally,SCOmaintains14dialoguepartnersincludingSaudi Arabia,Egypt,
Turkey,
Myanmar,
Sri Lanka,and cambodia.Memberscombined accountfor43percentoftheworldpopulationand23percentofday global GDP.HongKongUniversity professor Alejandro Reyes told Al Jazeera that despite these figures,the organization’s visionandalignmentremain unclear.
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Alejandro added,”The United States took leadership overmultilateral fora liketheUN,the World Bank,and IMFafter World War II,butpost-ColdWar emergingeconomies suchasChina,
India,
Brazil,
andsouth africa contributedto diversifying multilateralism.Thishelpedcreate groups like bricsto representthe GlobalSouth.Hence,SCOisoneofthe new multilateral bodies.”
BRICS-which stands for Brazil,Russia India,
China
andsouth Africa-positions itselfas aproposalforthe Global Southaroundgeopoliticssecurityand trade.
SCO originally focusedonregional security,butit has broadenedits agenda totradeandsouthematics.Thismakesdistinguishingitfromorganizations like BRICS complicated.
Manoj KwalramaniheadsofIndo-Pacificstudiesat India’sTakshashilaInstitute concurs,saying,”Theorganizationisstillseekingits identity.”
Kwalramaniexplainscurrentidentitycenterson”a conceptofindivisible security,”meaningone country’ssecurityshouldn’tcomeata costto another.
Hecontinues,”Thisuniqueperspectiverunscountertonato’s.takenatosafesecuritycollectivelyasabloc,SCOinsists allmembers’interestsbeconsidered whichsendsamessage especially totheUS-thatweareapowertoowhose interests especiallynear our bordersdeserve respect.”
why doesthissummithave special significance?
ThissummittakesplaceamidongoingRussianwar inUkrainencreasingIsraelimperialviolenceinGazaandalongWestBanksurgingAsianSouthsecuritytensionsandaglobaleconomic warcastbyTrump era tariffs.Kwalramanisays,”Theworldremainsturbulent.CurrentlyChinaRussiaprobablywillpush thesnapshot enteringmultipolardynamicsandreassert indivisiblesecurityconcept.”
Headded,”Significance alsoliesinseveralbelievemultilateralismisoftena mortal casualtyduetoUSpolicywhileScomemberspersistwithmultilateralsupportnotunilateralisms.”
Reyes stressesthatsymbolsandsignalsmatter:”Americahasburntbridgeswith nearlyallcountries.consequentlyforxithissummitisachanceto elevateChinarolegloballyshowconstructiveinternationalrelations.”
Two daysposta closing ceremonyonSeptember3Beijingwillspectacular VictoryDaymilitaryparade marking WWIIendinanAsia.Manyleaders present even Putin,LukashenkoSubianto expectedtostay.KimJong UnlikelyvisitstoBeijing.Reyescallsthishighlightshowthatpowerprojection feedsdisplays hostedworldleaders.
Whatistheorganization ’s stanceon criticalissues?
|SCOfrequentlyfailsconsensusover geopolitics.Russiahasmanagedgarnermajoritysupportrib warstanceyetIndiaplaysbalancingact callingforpeacewhilerecord oil importsfromMoscow.
LastThursdayUkraineForeignMinistryurgedSCOmembership “takeclearpositionupholdinternationallawreject Russian aggression&murderofUkrainianchildren.”
IsraelGazaconflictlinkedLebanon&Iranalsa splitmembers.Whenorganizations condemnedIsraeliattacksonIranIndiaabsentcoserelationsIsrael.
Legacy Indo-Pak hostility persists.NewDelhicontinuallycallsSCO condemncrossborder terrorism blamed Islamabad.InJulyIndia requesteddenouncearmedattackkilling26 Kashmiri residents attributingresponsibilityPakistanwhich deniescharge.Due consensusbaseddecisionmakingsome membersvetoeda jointstatementsoNew Delhi did not endorseminutes defense ministers’meeting declaration.Whatcausesorganizational disunity?
Kwalramanisaid,countriesjoindedifferently.Central Asiansconcernedsafetyseekeconomic tiesChina.ForIndiacombatingterrorismkeymotivation.”
Though Beijing aims unity atthisyearssummit Reyes notes likely event dominatedmorebyscrap symbolismthan concrete outcomes.He stated,”Unlikely SCObeyond representationplatform GlobalSouth or tactical joint vehicle ChinarussianEurasia partnerships.”
Strong ><Whatdoesorganization meanforUS?
WithrepeatedcriticismsagainstGlobalSouthblocksTrump once threatenedunilateraltariffswould”cripple BRICKS”callingitgrouppro-anti-American.
ReysesaysUSSClikelyfollowscloselyaffectIndianhosted Quadmeeting endsofyear.Quadsafety dialogueinitiated2007byindiaJapanAustraliaUSA countergrowing ChinainfluenceAsia Pacific.
Over past25 yearsDelhi drew nearUSAallies.OnceWashington slapped50% tariffsover Russiaroilexportsanalysts eager observeModi-Xi encounterTijanjinas USwatchpoint.”Washington keenly follows Indo-China engagement amid attempts ease bilateral tensions.”
“Headded,”GiventariffsQuad meetings it’ll be revealinghowModiheads approach.”
Still,Kwalramanidownsuggestbreakdown US-Indianrelationsthoughtensions tariffs persist.”These matureeconomy maintainclose tiesmany areas.US monitorsnotjustIndiaofficial buisness but also pakistan Iran Russia Chineventssummit”.
“He concluded,”I’m confidentmessagesUSexpectedreceivesfrom SCOSummit.Canbeneficialobservultiparse lessons.”
