China calls on regional bloc to ‘oppose hegemonic bullying’ as Nato set to expand
- The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Nato are both growing, but similarities end there, observers say
- BRICS also on a fast track for expansion, with Iran and Argentina eyeing membership
China tells UN expansion of Nato into Asia-Pacific will stir up conflict
Wang said China was willing to work with member states to “oppose hegemonic bullying, resolutely resist the Cold War mentality” and promote the democratisation of international relations.
SCO Secretary General Zhang Ming said the group should reform and improve itself and have the “courage to exert positive energy on the international stage”.
On June 25, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko asked for Russia’s support in upgrading his country’s status within the SCO, where it is currently an observer.
Argentina and Iran have applied to join BRICS, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Monday. “While the White House was thinking what to disconnect, ban or spoil in the world, Argentina and Iran have applied for joining BRICS,” she wrote on her Telegram channel.
The development came as China was labelled a “challenge” by Nato in its strategic blueprint, while Russia, also a member of the SCO, was targeted as the “most significant and direct threat to the allies’ security”. Nato adopted the blueprint on Wednesday during its summit in Madrid.
Sweden and Finland appear set for fast-track membership in Nato after Türkiye lifted a veto on them joining on Tuesday – a big step for the expansion of the 30-member military alliance.
Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand attended the Nato meeting for the first time this week. The inclusion of the four Asia-Pacific nations has drawn strong reactions from Beijing, with Chinese diplomats saying Nato expansion will result in more conflict in the region.
Yang Jin, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it is important for China and Russia to build mutual trust with countries in the region, play a bigger role in shaping the international order via groups such as the SCO, and boost economic ties with bodies such as BRICS.
Nato leaders say China is a ‘systemic challenge to Euro-Atlantic security’
But he said Nato and the SCO were different in nature as the former is a close military alliance and the latter is more focused on regional security issues and economic development.
“The expansion of the two has different meanings. The expansion of Nato, a military organisation with a rapid-reaction force, which is expected to include Sweden and Finland, will cause anxiety and unease in neighbouring countries,” Yang said.
“But the SCO mainly focuses on energy, economy, trade and people-to-people and cultural cooperation.”
He said that if the SCO establishes its own force, the group could lose members as some small countries mainly sought economic cooperation and a balance between major powers in these international organisations.
Wang Xianju, deputy director of the Russian Research Centre at Renmin University, said the SCO should establish a regulatory mechanism to solve border conflicts and frictions between member states.
“The expansion is a must and one of the main agendas of the summit in September is to resolve Iran’s membership,” Wang added.
Wang also suggested that the SCO speed up its cooperation with Asean and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation to boost ties with Southeast and South Asian countries.