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Iran is expected to officially become the ninth full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation at the group’s summit in September. Photo: Xinhua

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
Central Asia
Beijing is strengthening its multilateral platforms to play a bigger role in shaping the world order, as the United States and an expanding Nato move to counter challenges from China.
Beijing officials called on the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to oppose hegemony and confrontations between blocs during a round-table discussion to mark the 20th anniversary of the signing of the group’s charter on Wednesday.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the regional security bloc’s member countries to strengthen unity and cooperation, firmly oppose external interference, and continue to show “solid support” for each other’s development.

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”.

Iran is expected to officially become the ninth member of the SCO at the group’s summit in September, wrapping up an accession process that started last year. It will be the first expansion of the group since India and Pakistan joined in 2017.
Muhammad Hassan Shekholeslami, president of the Institute for Political and International Studies, a Tehran-based think tank, said Iran will bring potential and opportunity to the group because of its geographical advantages and rich energy and human resources.

03:48

Possible Nato membership for Finland and Sweden sparks concern in Russia

Possible Nato membership for Finland and Sweden sparks concern in Russia

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.

The BRICS bloc, which includes the emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is also on a fast track to expanding its membership.

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.

01:59

China’s proposed security deal with Pacific islands falls short as Wang Yi tours region

China’s proposed security deal with Pacific islands falls short as Wang Yi tours region

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.

01:26

At least 16 killed by Russian missile strike ‘terrorism’ targeting busy shopping centre in Ukraine

At least 16 killed by Russian missile strike ‘terrorism’ targeting busy shopping centre in Ukraine

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.

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