Leaders sit at the table during Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan July 4, 2024. Sultan Dosaliev/Kyrgyz Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS
China’s President Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin advocated for increased security, political, and economic collaboration among Eurasian countries on Thursday, presenting it as a counterbalance to Western alliances. Their comments came on the second and final day of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. The SCO, established in 2001 by Russia, China, and several Central Asian states, now includes India, Iran, and Pakistan.Xi emphasized the need for SCO members to unite against external interference, citing the West’s “Cold War mentality” as a significant challenge. According to Xinhua news agency, Xi called for consolidated unity to oppose external interference and division.Putin reiterated Russia’s proposal for a new cooperation architecture in Eurasia, advocating for “indivisible security and development” to replace what he described as outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models, which he claimed provided unilateral benefits to certain states. He blamed the West for the conflict in Ukraine and expressed Russia’s willingness to freeze the conflict if Kyiv and its allies accepted Moscow’s terms for negotiations. Putin also suggested that the proposed Eurasian security pact should be inclusive of all regional countries, including NATO members, with the ultimate goal of eliminating external military presence, implicitly referring to the United States.The SCO nations have become significant buyers of Russian commodities like oil and gas, as Western sanctions related to the Ukraine war have prompted Moscow to shift its economic focus toward Asia.Putin highlighted the increasing use of national currencies for trade within SCO countries, rather than the dollar, and called for a new payment system within the organization. Western sanctions have disconnected Moscow from traditional payment systems like SWIFT, and substantial Russian foreign reserves remain frozen.”The multi-polar world has become reality,” Putin declared. “More and more countries support a fair world order and are ready to vigorously defend their legal rights and traditional values.”On the sidelines of the SCO summit, India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. They agreed to intensify discussions to resolve border issues that have strained relations since a violent clash in 2020.
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