Putin and Xi promote anti-Western alliance at Central Asia summit July 4, 2024
- Ana Cunha-Busch
- Jul 3, 2024
- 3 min read
By AFP - Agence France Presse
Putin and Xi promote anti-Western alliance at Central Asia summit
The leaders of China and Russia on Thursday called on their allies and partners to resist malign external influence, promoting their shared anti-Western agenda at a regional summit in Central Asia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, were in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, for a meeting of leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional bloc that Moscow and Beijing see as a counterweight to US "hegemony" on the world stage.
Xi called on countries to "resist external interference", while Putin said that "new centers" of political and economic power were on the rise.
"We should join hands to resist external interference, firmly support each other, care for each other's concerns... and firmly control the future and destiny of our countries and regional peace and development in our own hands," Xi said at the summit.
"It is vitally important for the world that the SCO is on the right side of history and the side of impartiality and justice," he added.
In a joint statement, published by the Kremlin, the group noted "tectonic shifts in global politics" and called for the bloc to play a greater role in global and regional security.
"The use of force is increasing, the norms of international law are being systematically violated, geopolitical confrontations and conflicts are growing, and the risks to stability in the world and the SCO region are multiplying," it said.
The document did not refer to Russia's invasion of Ukraine or China's dispute with Taiwan, but said that the group has "mutual respect for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of states".
Both Russia and China regularly rail against what they say is US dominance in global affairs and seek to increase its influence and control, especially in regions close to their borders.
"The multipolar world has become a reality," Putin said in remarks at the summit.
He also welcomed the accession of Russia's close ally Belarus to the bloc, making it its tenth member.
"The circle of states that stand for a just world order and are ready to resolutely defend their legitimate rights and protect traditional values is expanding," Putin said.
"New centers of power and economic growth are strengthening," he added.
Iran, sanctioned by the West, joined as a full member last year.
- Competition
The SCO was founded in 2001 but has risen to prominence in recent years. In addition to China, Russia, and Belarus, its full members are India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.
It aims to be a platform for cooperation in competition with the West, focusing on security and the economy and Central Asia in particular, and claims to represent 40% of the global population and around 30% of its GDP.
However, it is a disparate group with many internal differences, including territorial disputes.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has further increased the great powers' interest in Central Asia, where Moscow is trying to maintain its traditional dominance, but where China now has strong ties through its flagship Belt and Road infrastructure project.
The West is also vying for influence in the strategically important region, rich in oil and gas and a crucial transportation route between Asia and Europe.
Despite the scramble for influence, the SCO's common anti-Western agenda was clearly on display at Thursday's summit.
In the final declaration, the bloc criticized the "unilateral and unrestricted construction" of missile defense systems by unidentified countries and regional alliances - a common complaint by Moscow and Beijing against the United States.
They also called for a "rapid, complete and sustainable ceasefire" in Gaza with a "comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian question".
On Thursday, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry announced that it will host the next leaders' summit in October.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the ministry's spokesperson, said that "all heads of government of SCO member states" would be welcome when asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leader of neighboring and rival India, would be invited.
Modi did not attend the summit but is expected in Moscow in the coming days on his first visit to the country since Russia invaded Ukraine.
bur-bk-jc/am/cw
Comments