The Future of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and China

Abstract

Sino-Russian bilateral relations have steadily developed during the 1990s. With the help of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which was established in 1996, China and Russia had the chance to balance the hegemony of the US in the world and to prevent the interference of other great powers to central Eurasian issues. Central Asian countries, which have been historically and strategically squeezed between Russia and China, have also taken part in the SCO. With the US military operation of Afghanistan after September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001, the new era has started in Central Asia and the SCO has been affected negatively within this process. The attitude of Russia and China is very important for the future of the SCO as an organization. The SCO will be able to protect its entity and continue to develop, as long as the cooperation between China and Russia carries on depending on mutual interests.

Keywords

SCO, Eurasia, Great Powers, Strategy

Citation

Çolakoğlu, Selçuk, “The Future of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and China”, International Relations, Volume 1, Issue 1 (Spring 2004), pp. 173-197.

Affiliations

• Selçuk Çolakoğlu, Dr., Adnan Menderes University, Department of International Relations