The SCO Summit: A Comprehensive Analysis of Geopolitical Realignment

Executive Summary

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit represents a significant convergence of political and economic interests among member states, providing a crucial platform for dialogue and cooperation in an increasingly multipolar world.

This summit highlights the evolving alliances and partnerships in Central Asia and beyond and reflects the broader trends of geopolitical realignment that are reshaping international relations.

During the latest summit, leaders from various countries engaged in substantive discussions addressing pressing global issues such as security threats, economic collaboration, and cultural exchanges.

The meeting served as a pivotal forum for member states to articulate their strategic visions and explore avenues for collective action.

Notably, the widening scope of cooperation among SCO nations underscores the organization's role in promoting regional stability and counterbalancing unilateral actions by dominant powers.

Additionally, the SCO Summit provided an opportunity for member states to reaffirm their commitment to combating terrorism, extremism, and separatism—critical challenges that threaten the region's security landscape.

The collective emphasis on multilateralism and partnership underscores the organization's foundational principles while signaling the member states' intent to uphold sovereignty and territorial integrity in their respective domains.

Moreover, economic discussions at the summit revolved around enhancing trade ties, investing in infrastructure projects, and fostering technological cooperation.

With the Belt and Road Initiative looming large, the SCO's emphasis on connectivity and economic integration is becoming increasingly vital as countries look to stimulate growth and development amid global uncertainties.

The SCO Summit encapsulates the intricate web of relationships among its member states. It serves as a barometer for the shifting geopolitical landscape, highlighting the interplay of cooperation, security, and economic interests in a world where traditional power dynamics continually evolve.

Introduction

Key Highlights from Recent SCO Summits

Recent summits of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), particularly the 24th summit in Astana, Kazakhstan (July 2024) and the 25th summit in Tianjin, China (August-September 2025), have marked pivotal developments in the organization’s structure and strategic direction.

Noteworthy Outcomes and Structural Reforms

The Tianjin summit represented the largest assembly of SCO member states since its inception in 2001, featuring participation from over 20 global leaders and heads of 10 international organizations.

Several key structural reforms and initiatives emerged from this summit, significantly enhancing the SCO's capabilities and reach:

Membership and Partnership Expansion

The organization successfully consolidated observer states and dialogue partners into a cohesive category termed “SCO partners,” thus expanding the SCO into a 27-member entity (10 full members and 17 partners). The addition of Laos as a partner at the 2025 summit exemplifies this trend towards greater inclusivity.

Institutional Development

The establishment of four new SCO centers was a noteworthy development, each tasked with addressing specific issues such as security threats, transnational organized crime, information security enhancement, and anti-drug collaboration.

This signifies a strategic shift from a primarily regional security framework to a more comprehensive multilateral approach.

Economic Integration

A landmark initiative at the Tianjin summit was the approval of the SCO Development Bank, an idea long advocated by China.

This financial institution is designed to facilitate infrastructure development across member states, providing a viable alternative to predominant Western financial frameworks.

Strategic Documentation

The sessions produced an array of strategic documents, including the Astana Declaration (2024), which contained 25 critical agreements, and the Tianjin Declaration (2025), featuring 20 key documents delineating the political, economic, and institutional trajectories of the SCO.

Additionally, the SCO Development Strategy for 2026-2035 was ratified, outlining long-term organizational priorities.

Strategic Implications for China, Russia, and India

China’s Vision and Leadership

For China, the SCO is integral to its strategy for promoting multipolarity and countering the US-centric global order.

President Xi Jinping has framed the organization as a vehicle for “authentic multilateralism,” emphasizing the principles of sovereign equality and opposition to hegemonic practices.

China's economic footprint within the SCO is substantial, with trade relations skyrocketing to $890 billion in 2024, constituting 14.4% of its total foreign trade.

The SCO is increasingly becoming a platform for China to showcase its leadership while extending alternatives to US-led institutions.

Particularly, the alignment with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is significant; most SCO member states (with India as a notable exception) are engaged in BRI projects, creating synergies that bolster China’s regional influence.

Russia’s Geopolitical Positioning

For Russia, the SCO serves as a critical mechanism for sustaining influence in the face of Western sanctions and geopolitical isolation due to its actions in Ukraine.

President Putin has utilized the platform to advocate for the use of national currencies in trade and the development of new energy corridors that circumvent Western-dominated routes.

Russia perceives the SCO as vital for engendering a form of “genuine multilateralism” and establishing the political and socioeconomic underpinnings necessary for stability in Eurasia.

The organization acts as a conduit for Russia to maintain strategic relations with pivotal partners such as China and India amid increasing withdrawal from Western systems.

India’s Strategic Balancing Act

India’s engagement in the SCO highlights its pursuit of strategic autonomy and commitment to a multipolar global order.

The nation eschews rigid entanglements, strategically balancing its affiliations with both Western and China-led initiatives.

The presence of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar at recent summits underscores India’s selective engagement within the SCO framework.

India has reiterated its counter-terrorism priorities and advocates for a “SECURE” SCO (Security, Economic cooperation, Connectivity, Unity, Respect for sovereignty, and Environmental protection).

However, challenges persist, particularly in relation to territorial disputes with China and navigating the implications of Pakistan’s membership.

India’s reluctance to endorse certain joint statements that fail to acknowledge issues of cross-border terrorism or omit references to attacks linked to Pakistan further illustrates the underlying tensions within the SCO framework.

Messages to Europe, the United States, BRICS, and the Global Community

Challenge to Western Hegemony

The SCO summits have communicated a robust counter-narrative to Western hegemony in international relations, reinforcing the organization’s role as a platform for bridging regional dynamics and promoting alternative governance structures in the evolving multipolar landscape.

Alternative Financial Architecture

The establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Development Bank represents a pivotal shift towards an alternative financial architecture aimed at diminishing reliance on Western financial institutions.

Similar to the BRICS New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the SCO Development Bank offers developing countries diverse financing options that exist outside the confines of the Bretton Woods system.

President Xi Jinping's announcement of 2 billion yuan in grants and 10 billion yuan in loans to SCO member states further underscores China's commitment to providing substantive financial alternatives to conventional Western aid packages and development financing mechanisms.

A Model for Global South Cooperation

The SCO has adeptly positioned itself as a paradigmatic framework for cooperation among Global South nations, with an emphasis on principles such as non-interference, mutual respect, and win-win relations.

The organization's expansion to encompass a range of countries across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East illustrates its appeal beyond its initial Central Asian focus.

Rooted in what is termed the "Shanghai Spirit," the organization advocates for mutual trust, equitable benefit, consultative processes, and respect for cultural diversity, thereby offering a counter-narrative to Western liberal democratic ideals.

This framework resonates particularly well with many states in the Global South seeking alternatives to Western-centric multilateralism.

BRICS Synergies and Complementarity

The relationship between the SCO and BRICS is characterized by complementarity rather than competition, providing a synergistic approach to challenging Western hegemony.

Both organizations include major geopolitical players such as China, Russia, and India, creating overlapping networks of cooperation that enhance the global shift towards multipolarity.

The SCO's concentration on regional security and connectivity dovetails with BRICS's focus on economic collaboration and alternative financial mechanisms to Western institutions.

Collectively, these institutions present a formidable front illustrating what analysts perceive as a significant transition toward alternative governance models on the global stage.

FAF Analysis: Implications for International Relations

Theoretical Framework: Multipolarity vs. Unipolarity

The SCO embodies a practical implementation of multipolarity theory in international relations, directly challenging the unipolarity associated with the United States in the post-Cold War landscape.

This organization exemplifies what scholars denote as “competitive multilateralism,” wherein rising powers establish alternative frameworks to replace existing Western-dominated systems.

Nonetheless, the SCO's effectiveness is often hampered by internal contradictions and divergent national interests among its member states.

The absence of binding commitments akin to NATO’s Article 5 mitigates the organization’s capability to function as a cohesive security alliance.

Institutional Evolution and Effectiveness

The transformation of the SCO from the “Shanghai Five”—initially focused on border issues—to a comprehensive multilateral entity illustrates a significant degree of institutional adaptation and evolution.

The establishment of specialized frameworks such as the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) and the upcoming Development Bank signals ongoing institutional capacity building.

However, detractors argue that the SCO is still “an organization searching for its identity,” as it grapples with reconciling the diverse interests and priorities of its members.

The consensus-driven decision-making process frequently yields lowest-common-denominator outcomes, limiting the potential for bold initiatives.

Geopolitical Realignment and Strategic Implications

The SCO's summits mirror broader geopolitical realignments, especially the increasing assertiveness of non-Western powers in influencing international norms and institutional frameworks.

The organization serves both as a platform for China's ambitions of global leadership and as a mechanism for other regional powers to counterbalance US preeminence.

The inclusion of traditional US allies like India and Turkey, now dialogue partners, within the SCO's framework illustrates the limitations of rigid alliance systems in an evolving multipolar world.

This dynamic indicates that future international relations will likely feature overlapping and occasionally contradictory institutional affiliations rather than rigid block divisions.

Conclusion

Security Architecture and Regional Stability

The SCO’s conceptualization of security cooperation underscores "comprehensive security," encompassing traditional military threats, terrorism, separatism, extremism, and emerging challenges such as cybersecurity.

This holistic paradigm reflects non-Western perspectives on security, which prioritize state sovereignty and non-interference.

However, the organization faces critical challenges in addressing concrete security crises, as evidenced by its limited responses to issues in Afghanistan, the longstanding tensions between India and Pakistan, and the border disputes between China and India.

The SCO's efficacy as a security provider remains largely untested, particularly in significant crises.

In summary, SCO summits represent a significant evolution in international relations, illustrating both the potential and the limitations inherent in alternative multilateral institutions challenging the established global order.