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Opinion | Why China is best placed to help negotiate an end to the Ukraine war
- Developments at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit reflect shifting regional power dynamics and the evolving China-Russia relationship
- China’s balancing act affords Beijing the necessary degree of influence and impartiality to help meditate a way out of the Ukraine crisis
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Last week, many eyes were trained on the ancient city of Samarkand for the annual meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Coming at a time of mounting global challenges and geopolitical tensions, the summit showed the importance of the SCO and China’s role in promoting multilateralism, connectivity and development in Central Asia and beyond.
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In Samarkand, SCO members adopted more than 40 outcome documents covering a range of fields and issued statements on pressing issues such as food security, energy security, climate change and supply chain security. New infrastructure projects were also announced, including the Mongolian section of a new Russia-China gas pipeline and a joint agreement between China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to build a transnational railroad.
Once complete, it will shorten the rail freight journey from China to Europe, which currently goes through Russia, by 900km. This new route through Central Asia had long been considered but previously did not proceed, partly because it went against Russia’s strategic and economic interests.
The fact that it is now going ahead reflects shifting power dynamics in the region and the evolving China-Russia relationship. These changes were also seen in the meeting between the leaders of the two countries.
On the one hand, China and Russia underscored the strength of the bilateral relationship and pledged to support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests. Russian President Vladimir Putin described the strategic partnership between China and Russia as “solid as a mountain”.
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In the last few months, a series of events have drawn China and Russia closer together. China was already Russia’s biggest trading partner and has become even more economically important for Moscow amid Western sanctions. In the first eight months of this year, total goods trade between China and Russia jumped 31.4 per cent year on year to US$117.2 billion.
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