The SCO’s Diminishing Usefulness for India
Much like BRICS, the China-dominated Shanghai Cooperation Organisation offers few benefits to New Delhi.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), an influential forum comprising China, Russia, and other Central Asian nations, is finding its relevance waning for India. At a summit in Kyrgyzstan next week, the SCO, celebrating its 25th anniversary, will focus on regional stability, economic integration, transport connectivity, and digitalization.
However, India's association with the SCO might not be entirely comfortable, as China's growing dominance overshadows the forum. While India joined the SCO in 2017, its participation has become more defensive, unable to fully align with China's anti-Western agenda or compete with Beijing's influence. The SCO's origins trace back to the Shanghai Five in 1996, initially formed to reduce tensions along borders post-Soviet collapse.
Over time, China saw it as a tool to combat separatism, extremism, and terrorism emanating from Central Asia, while Russia pursued multipolar world order cooperation with China. This division of labor saw Russia retaining security responsibilities and China becoming the dominant economic force. Despite initial diplomatic efforts to join the SCO in the late 1990s, India became a full member only in 2017, sharing a space with Pakistan in the forum.
The SCO's future role for India remains uncertain as it navigates its complex geopolitical landscape, balancing relationships with China and the West.
Written by urgent.news from Foreign Policy's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
