Open AccessThe Shanghai Cooperation Organization: An Emerging Venue for China’s New Diplomacy
Author(s) -
Enayatollah Yazdani
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
china quarterly of international strategic studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2377-7419
pISSN - 2377-7400
DOI - 10.1142/s2377740020500220
Subject(s) - beijing , china , diplomacy , outreach , political science , position (finance) , resilience (materials science) , great power , order (exchange) , economic growth , international trade , public administration , business , economics , politics , finance , physics , law , thermodynamics
China’s increasing strategic investment and continued diplomatic outreach has indicated that it aims to play a larger leadership role in global affairs in the years to come. To project its global power, Beijing has not only tried to bolster its position in existing regional and global institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, but also launched its own initiatives, programs, and projects to reinforce and reform the current international order. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) stands out as the only grouping whose inception, expansion, and functioning best showcase China’s rise and ambitions in the region and the larger world. Indeed, the SCO is a key platform for Beijing’s efforts to play such a role; it is a multilateral mechanism that has long provided an effective means for achieving China’s regional and international goals and interests. Yet, internal tensions between member states may pose new challenges, which will be a major test of the SCO’s resilience and capacity in the years to come.