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Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin pictured at a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in the Chinese city of Qingdao in 2018. Photo: AP

China calls for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to play role in Ukraine conflict

  • Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the Beijing-led group can play a more active role in dealing with the crisis
  • But analysts question the practicality of a group seen as dominated by Beijing and Moscow helping to stabilise the situation
Ukraine war
Beijing has said the Chinese-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation can play a role in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the SCO’s secretary general Zhang Ming on Tuesday that the organisation should play a more active role in maintaining regional and global security and stability.

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“As an international organisation with the widest dimensions and largest population, the SCO should play a more active role amid the implications caused by the Ukraine crisis,” Wang told Zhang, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

“[The SCO] should condemn the revival of the cold war mentality … encourage respect for the United Nations Charter and resolutely oppose illegal unilateral sanctions.”

Earlier this week, the US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned Beijing it would face tough consequences if it provided military support to Russia.

Beijing is facing growing pressure from the West to use its leverage with Moscow to defuse the situation. China has so far refused to condemn Russia’s aggression in Ukraine – or even call it an invasion – but has called for dialogue and de-escalation. Both Beijing and Moscow have denied reports that Russia asked China for military aid.

But some international relations analysts expressed scepticism about the ability of the SCO, whose members include Russia and a number of central Asian countries, to play an active role.

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“None of the smaller countries in the SCO is willing to touch the war in Ukraine. The organisation doesn’t have any experience in resolving conflicts between member states, not to mention a war between big powers like Russia and Ukraine, a non-member country,” said Sun Yu, a Eurasian security researcher at Andijan State University in Uzbekistan.

In January, the SCO vowed to intervene in Kazakhstan unrest if needed, but also backed the Kazakh government’s crackdown on protesters with Russian support – a sign of approval for Moscows intervention.

Founded in 2001 in Shanghai, the SCO comprises eight member states: India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, plus four observers and six “dialogue partners”.

China risks isolation ‘if it doesn’t distance itself from Russia’

Sun said the SCO might be used by Russia as leverage to counter sanctions and pressure from the West.

“Russia has been isolated by the international community, it has to seek every possible way to defend itself,” he said. “As a host country, Wang’s remark obviously favours Russia, how could SCO win the trust from Ukraine?”

Yogesh Gupta, a former Indian diplomat, agreed with Sun, adding that the SCO is perceived more as focused on Asia and driven by China and Russia.

“The USA has sharp misgivings about the role of its two principal actors, i.e. China and Russia. I don’t view it playing a useful role in the resolution of the Ukraine conflict,” Gupta said.

“In a sense, [the Ukraine war] is America’s fight against Russia for replacing the US-led political, economic and security architecture in Europe. America will never agree to Russia walking away with a victory collapsing the US led global political order.”

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