An Emerging Powerhouse in Eurasian Geopolitics : The Shanghai Six +

Abstract

The paper is a study of a rather recent regional interstate formation in Asia, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Its background and progress is highlighted. With all indications, the organisation has caught the attention of researchers and will continue to occupy the agenda of the 21st century international politics. Bearing in mind the size and weight of its membership within the area it spans, the organisation is set to be a powerhouse to reckon with beyond its regional borders. After its structure is described, what the organisation implies for Russian and Chinese interests is taken up. The Organisation has significant implications for the Central Asian States and the neighboring countries. As an institutional actor in the global game, its regional and global implications are highlighted.

Manufacturing resilience: An analysis of broadcast and Web-based news presentations of the 2014–2015 Russian economic downturn

“…Russia, following World War II, has been an important actor in international affairs and is a nation whose policies and actions still carry significant weight in global politics, even after the fall of the Soviet Union (Machalek, 2008; Oksan and Ekim, 2013; Öksüz, 2009). Russian President Vladimir Putin structured the new Russian Federation under the moniker of ‘managed democracy’, presenting a state-controlled alternative to versions of more liberal democracy seen in the West (Fournier, 2015; Krastev and Holmes, 2012).…”

The Interests of the Central Asian States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

“…terrorism, separatism, and extremism. Member states decided to hold regular meetings of the defense ministers at the Bishkek summit, but there is little information on the outcome of such meetings (Öksüz 2009(Öksüz :718, Chung 2006. Since the establishment of RATS, its member states held a number of joint antiterrorist exercises within the framework of the SCO.…”

“…The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental international organization founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001 by six member nations: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It was established on the foundation of the -Shanghai Five‖ mechanism, which was initially developed for the purpose of strengthening trust and encouraging disarmament in the border regions of China with Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan ( Öksüz 2009( Öksüz :715, Kay 2006. The SCO admitted Mongolia into observer status at its 2004 Tashkent Summit and Pakistan, India and Iran received observer status at its 2005 summit in Astana, Kazakhstan.…”