{"id":40572,"date":"2025-09-09T12:03:35","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T10:03:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/?p=40572"},"modified":"2025-09-12T14:17:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T12:17:05","slug":"the-dance-of-the-elephant-and-the-dragon-geopolitical-vicissitudes-behind-the-shanghai-cooperation-organization-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/the-dance-of-the-elephant-and-the-dragon-geopolitical-vicissitudes-behind-the-shanghai-cooperation-organization-summit\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dance of the Elephant and the Dragon: Geopolitical Vicissitudes behind the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"40572\" class=\"elementor elementor-40572\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e26365f elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e26365f\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-33444549\" data-id=\"33444549\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-456ddc3b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"456ddc3b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Photo: Canva.com<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f531a8a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7f531a8a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-no-translation=\"\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<style>.elementor-element-7f531a8a{display:none !important}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4e5d46b6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4e5d46b6\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4eedd100\" data-id=\"4eedd100\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-58594714 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"58594714\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-no-translation=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-74b8a908\" data-id=\"74b8a908\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-53c56971 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"53c56971\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>What is happening?<\/h2><p>At the turn of August and September, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/3d0aad05-402f-403b-aa8c-4935186b47e6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tianjin, China (PRC) hosted<\/a> the long-anticipated two-day annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The event sparked a major <strong>political, diplomatic, and propaganda offensive<\/strong> by the PRC. As the host of this high-profile gathering, the country became the centerstage for a live spectacle of notorious dictators, authoritarian displays, populist rhetoric, and weapons of mass destruction. Shortly afterward, Beijing unveiled a meticulously choreographed military parade commemorating the 80<sup>th<\/sup> anniversary of the end of World War II. Through these events, the PRC delivered a message\u2014subtle in form but unmistakable in content\u2014to all of its neighbors: the post-American world will feature<strong> Beijing at its center<\/strong>.<\/p><h2>\u00a0<\/h2><h2>What is the broader picture?<\/h2><p>The SCO was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scochina2025.org.cn\/en\/n3\/2025\/0313\/c518821-20289204.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">founded<\/a> in 2001 by the so-called Shanghai Five (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan) and Uzbekistan to resolve territorial disputes and border tensions in Central Asia. Over time, the grouping expanded its mandate beyond cooperation against \u201cthree evils\u201d: counterterrorism, counter-separatism, and counter-extremism to include joint military exercises. SCO also beefed up its membership to include major players such as India, Iran, and Pakistan. On the international stage, it has gradually positioned itself as a broader Eurasian economic and security forum, increasingly self-identified by its <strong>opposition to Western groupings like NATO and the G7<\/strong>, or more directly, to the United States, its Western allies, and the post-World War II institutions.<\/p><p>At the same time, the SCO is <strong>deeply divided, reflecting many cleavage lines between its members<\/strong>. It is neither a military alliance nor a coherent defensive bloc. Its list of members includes long-standing rivals such as India and Pakistan, as well as China and India. Yet, as Moscow\u2019s power declines, the SCO is shifting into an increasingly Sinocentric organization\u2014representing roughly a quarter of global GDP, nearly half the world\u2019s population, and covering almost the entire Eurasian landmass. Through such institutions and partnerships, Beijing is striving to showcase itself as a<strong> superpower offering an alternative to U.S. primacy.<\/strong><\/p><p>The 25th SCO summit this year drew more than twenty states\u2014marking the <a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2025\/09\/01\/china\/china-sco-summit-xi-address-intl-hnk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">largest turnout<\/a> in its history. A defining moment was the <strong>clear demonstration of Moscow\u2019s diminished status relative to Beijing<\/strong>, highlighted by the <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/china-sco-putin-modi-xi-summit-95f1421de601960a9c569933862a09a0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">approval<\/a> of the long-planned SCO Development Bank. The new institution\u2019s purpose is to finance Chinese infrastructure projects, promote cross-border trade, and position the renminbi as a robust alternative to the U.S. dollar. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/26207277-0a76-4ed4-b34a-8dd27b6c83b4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Analysts<\/a> argue that Beijing is laying the groundwork for a new global financial architecture\u2014one that bypasses not only Western states but also Russia, which had previously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.csis.org\/analysis\/china-showcases-global-ambitions-shanghai-cooperation-organization-summit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">vetoed<\/a> such initiatives. For Moscow, the picture is stark. While Russia has made some progress in escaping international isolation, Vladimir Putin has now <strong>openly accepted a subordinate junior role to Beijing. <\/strong>This state of affairs is a direct consequence of Russia\u2019s economic, military, and financial dependence on the PRC in the context of the war in Ukraine. Xi Jinping (\u7fd2\u8fd1\u5e73) also used the summit to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.channelnewsasia.com\/east-asia\/china-sco-xi-jinping-global-governance-initiative-shared-future-5326616\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reiterate<\/a> his Global Governance Initiative (\u5168\u7403\u6cbb\u7406\u5021\u8b70), aimed at building new international structures configured and controlled by the PRC and designed to counterbalance or even replace Western architecture of international institutions.<\/p><p>Arguably, the most disturbing scenes came when Putin once again repeated his unfounded justifications for the invasion of Ukraine. Equally striking was the <strong>unprecedented image of the leaders of Russia, China, and North Korea walking side by side<\/strong>, presenting themselves as partners in shaping the future world.<\/p><p>Nevertheless, a major subplot was the seeming<strong> rapprochement between India and China<\/strong>. While the roots of this shift run deeper, the pace has accelerated in recent days, primarily driven by<strong> Donald Trump\u2019s <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2025\/aug\/27\/trump-tariff-india-russian-oil-purchase\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>aggressive trade policies<\/strong><\/a><strong> toward India<\/strong>. During the summit, Prime Minister Modi and President Xi announced significant progress on long-standing contentious issues, particularly territorial disputes that have persisted for decades and most recently flared into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/what-was-india-china-military-clash-2020-about-2024-10-25\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">armed conflict<\/a> in 2020. That clash resulted in casualties on both sides and strained bilateral relations for years. This time, however, both governments announced steps forward on trade, visas, the resumption of direct flights, and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/china\/india-china-are-partners-not-rivals-modi-xi-say-2025-08-31\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">declaration<\/a> that they now regard each other as <strong>\u201cpartners, not rivals.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><p>Trump\u2019s decision to impose a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods bound for the United States has forced New Delhi not only to seek trade alternatives in other markets, but also <strong>significantly damaged the political and security partnership between Washington and New Delhi<\/strong> that they have been <strong>consciously building up for decades<\/strong>. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/2025\/08\/27\/modi-reagan-climate-change-india\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">some analysts<\/a>, Trump\u2019s trade policy toward India represents the <strong>most significant mistake of his presidency to date<\/strong>. India is a pivotal partner of the U.S. in balancing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific and jeopardizing that relationship is strategically reckless. Even more troubling is that it remains unclear whether the tariffs stem from India\u2019s purchases of Russian oil or from <strong>Trump\u2019s bruised ego<\/strong> after New Delhi declined to credit him with negotiating a ceasefire in the recent India-Pakistan conflict.<\/p><p>Yet, despite public declarations of progress, deep <strong>strategic mistrust<\/strong> between New Delhi and Beijing persists. <strong>Territorial disputes<\/strong> remain unresolved. <strong>China\u2019s arming of Pakistan<\/strong>, India\u2019s archrival, remains a source of acute concern, with Chinese weaponry proving highly effective against Indian forces in this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stimson.org\/2025\/four-days-in-may-the-india-pakistan-crisis-of-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">year\u2019s clashes.<\/a> Looking ahead, further flashpoints loom: the question of the <strong>Dalai Lama\u2019s succession<\/strong> and the legitimacy of the Tibetan government-in-exile based in India; China\u2019s <strong>construction of the world\u2019s largest <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/c4gk1251w14o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>hydroelectric dam<\/strong><\/a>, with potential consequences for millions of Indians; the enduring trade imbalance and China\u2019s <strong>state-subsidized industrial overcapacity<\/strong>, which distorts global markets; <strong>and Beijing\u2019s claim to leadership of the Global South<\/strong>, a mantle India has long sought for itself. Whether this budding rapprochement survives\u2014or whether Trump can repair the damage done\u2014remains an open question.<\/p><h2>\u00a0<\/h2><h2>Why does it matter?<\/h2><p>In the wake of Donald Trump\u2019s failing foreign policies, China is working to project an image of unassailable status and global influence while courting some key Western security partners. Xi is leveraging the collective weight of SCO members in his bid for global preeminence and in <strong>reshaping the international order<\/strong> into a multipolar system with Beijing at its epicenter. The vision is clear: the PRC seeks a world where powerful states carve surrounding regions into spheres of influence reflecting their inherent norms and institutions, and a world where <strong>fewer but stronger states dominate at the expense of smaller and weaker ones.<\/strong> For medium-sized states in the heart of a divided Europe, this is a deeply bleak outlook.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Photo: Canva.com Foto: Canva.com What is happening? At the turn of August and September, Tianjin, China (PRC) hosted the long-anticipated two-day annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The event sparked a major political, diplomatic, and propaganda offensive by the PRC. As the host of this high-profile gathering, the country became the centerstage for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":40575,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[500],"tags":[552],"class_list":["post-40572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-ondrej-malek"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Dance of the Elephant and the Dragon: Geopolitical Vicissitudes behind the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit - European Values Center for Security Policy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/europeanvalues.cz\/en\/the-dance-of-the-elephant-and-the-dragon-geopolitical-vicissitudes-behind-the-shanghai-cooperation-organization-summit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Dance of the Elephant and the Dragon: Geopolitical Vicissitudes behind the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit - European Values Center for Security Policy\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Photo: Canva.com Foto: Canva.com What is happening? 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At the turn of August and September, Tianjin, China (PRC) hosted the long-anticipated two-day annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). The event sparked a major political, diplomatic, and propaganda offensive by the PRC. 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