Putin, Xi attempt to rally SCO leaders behind a new multipolar world order in Kyrgyzstan - analysis

These leaders have been doing this for a while. Back in 2019, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held a summit in Bishkek. At the time, some of the officials flew to Tajikistan’s capital, Dushanbe, for the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia. Taken together, the leaders were lifting the curtain on their push for a multipolar world order.

The SCO is one vehicle they use to discuss with non-Western powers the new world order that Moscow and Beijing want to create.

Putin said Russia is not fully satisfied with the UN, but that is nothing new: “We do not always like or are satisfied with everything the UN does. At the same time, I must note that, to be honest, this has always been the case, practically since its creation.”

Putin called for the SCO to work more closely at the UN and also have broader representation from countries of the Global South and East. Overall, the organization should adapt to the changing realities and fundamental shifts emerging in global politics and the economy.

Xi Jinping said the emergence of a multipolar world “is now an irreversible historical process,” TASS noted. Xi said the SCO “has become one of the key platforms for joint development and addressing challenges facing Eurasian countries.”

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko also spoke. Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon said the UN and SCO can play a greater role in building a fair and inclusive world order, TASS noted. Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov also noted this multipolar theme.

Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made an interesting reference to the current world order. He said that it should not be a “cult of force,” essentially arguing that it shouldn’t be one of “might makes right.” He added, “Our common strategic task is to build a world order in which a cult of force and confrontation gives way to mutual responsibility, joint development, and long-term cooperation.”

Photos from the event appeared to show leaders from 25 countries attending. China’s state news agency Xinhua noted that Xi said, “The meeting today focuses on strengthening the role of the United Nations and building a multipolar world, and it demonstrates SCO’s commitment to reforming and improving global governance as required by our times.”

He added that there are many changes that are “accelerating across the globe. Hegemonism, unilateralism, and protectionism are resurging against historical trends.” In essence, this was a critique of the US. He argued that the rise of the Global South is reshaping the world order.

“What kind of multipolarity does the world need? How will countries take part in and promote it? The international community should build consensus and make the right choice that can stand the test of practice and history,” Xi said, according to Xinhua.

“Major countries in particular should take the lead in observing international norms and honoring the rule of law and work together to tackle global challenges,” he added.

The SCO meeting matters because it brings together so many countries that apparently agree on confronting the US-led world order that began at the end of the Cold War.

Many of these countries are now advancing new ideas on how to shape the world order. The origins of the SCO date from 1996, when China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan met to discuss closer cooperation. A charter was signed in 2002. As such, the current SCO is very much a legacy of the long-term leadership of Putin, Xi, and several other leaders who have been around for decades.

Much has changed in the last decade. As things change, the SCO continues to expand. India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus have joined. More dialogue partners and observer states have also joined. These include Turkey, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and others.

What matters at the SCO today, as it did in 2019, is that these countries are openly talking about supplanting the US and creating a new world order. What does this mean for countries such as Pakistan, which work with the US but also formed a new alliance with Turkey and Saudi Arabia? Turkey and Saudi Arabia are both close friends of the US.

Turkey is a member of NATO. However, more and more countries want to hedge and keep a foot in several camps. SCO, BRICS, and other groupings provide that opportunity.

India, for instance, has mastered this balancing act. It has been since the era of the non-aligned movement during the Cold War. In those days, some countries wanted to balance between the Soviets and the Americans. Now the game afoot is to balance between the US and the rest. This is because the US remains the most powerful and influential country in the world.

Beijing has pursued a policy of “hide your strength, bide your time.” As China expands globally and increases the size of its navy, it is no longer hiding. It is now taking a more aggressive stance. However, it doesn’t want direct confrontation yet.

Russia has been willing to directly confront the West over Ukraine. This has led to a long and difficult war. It remains to be seen how Russia will behave as the war appears to sap its strength.

However, for now, Putin continues to put on an image of moving forward with his war in Ukraine.

What that means for the Middle East, Asia, and other areas is not yet clear. China’s outreach to Egypt this week, for instance, is a key example of how Beijing is exerting its influence in the Middle East.