Xi and Putin Outline Ambitious Goals for Eurasian Security Organization

The SCO, established in 2001 by Russia, China, and Central Asian nations, has expanded to include India, Iran, and Pakistan, positioning itself as a counterbalance to Western powers.

Astana: Chinese President Xi Jinping called for resistance against external interference during a regional security meeting on Thursday, while Russian President Vladimir Putin was set to discuss the creation of a new Eurasian security system. The annual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) saw leaders of member states converge to discuss strategies and reinforce their collective stance against Western influence.

The SCO, established in 2001 by Russia, China, and Central Asian nations, has expanded to include India, Iran, and Pakistan, positioning itself as a counterbalance to Western powers. This expansion has not only increased the group’s geopolitical influence but also secured new markets for Russian commodities like oil and gas amidst Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict.

“In the face of the real risks of small yards with high fences, we must safeguard the right to development,” Xi stated, according to Chinese state television CCTV, at the meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan. He emphasized the necessity for the bloc to resolve internal differences peacefully, find common ground, and overcome cooperation challenges.

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While the main discussions were held behind closed doors, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov revealed that Putin planned to discuss his vision for a new set of Eurasian collective security treaties. Last month, Putin suggested that such a system should be inclusive of all continental countries, including NATO members, but aimed at gradually eliminating external military presence in Eurasia, implicitly referring to the United States.

Putin, in a portion of his speech released by the Kremlin, also praised the growing use of national currencies in trade among SCO countries, advocating for the establishment of a new payment system within the group. Western sanctions have isolated Moscow from conventional payment systems like SWIFT, with substantial Russian foreign reserves remaining frozen.

Both Xi and Putin perceive the decline of the U.S.-dominated post-Cold War order. On Thursday, Putin underscored the SCO’s pivotal role in fostering a new, equitable world order. The U.S., on the other hand, views China as its primary competitor and Russia as its most significant state-level threat. President Joe Biden has framed the current era as a fundamental battle between democracies and autocracies.

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