GS Paper 2
Syllabus: International Relations – Regional grouping
Source: IE
Context: Chinese and Russian defence ministers are attending a ministerial meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Delhi this week. Also, India will chair the Eurasian regional forum this year.
About SCO:
| Information | ||
| Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) (est. 2001; HQ: Beijing) is a Eurasian political, economic, international security and defence organization. | ||
| Type | Permanent intergovernmental international organisation | |
| Need | After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the then security and economic architecture in the Eurasian region dissolved and new structures had to come up. | 
|
| Members | China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan (not Turkmenistan), were the original ‘Shanghai Five’. Uzbekistan was included afterwards. India and Pakistan joined the organization in 2017 | |
| Key priorities | Regional non-traditional security, counter-terrorism; Fight against the “three evils” of terrorism, separatism and extremism | |
| Observers | Iran, Afghanistan, Belarus, and Mongolia | |
| Current Head | India is the current chair of SCO | |
| Internal conflicts within SCO | Between India and China; India and Pakistan; Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan; Pakistan and Taliban-led Afghanistan; and No Central Asian neighbour has endorsed the Russian invasion of Ukraine. | |
How India gains from SCO:
| Dimensions | Benefits for India | |
| Geopolitical Balance | Asian Player | SCO bolsters India’s status as a major pan-Asian player which is currently limited in the South Asian paradigm. |
| Multi-alignment | Against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war; US’ power struggle with China and sanctions on Iran. SCO helps India engage with all sides. | |
| “Shanghai Spirit” | It emphasises India’s foreign policy of harmony, non-interference in others’ internal affairs, and non-alignment. | |
| Regional Engagement | Facilitates Bilateral Engagement | E.g., India is a major trade partner of Russia and China |
| Informal Meeting Opportunities | The SCO summit gives an opportunity for Indian and Pakistani leaders; the India-Chinese delegation; India-Russian leaders to meet informally, on the sidelines. | |
| Security dimensions | E.g., India wants access to intelligence and information from SCO’s counter-terrorism body, the Tashkent-based Regional Anti-Terror Structure (RATS). Also, India through SCO can help in the stability of Afghanistan. | |
| Connectivity | E.g., International North-South Transport Corridor | |
India’s challenges in dealing with SCO:
| Challenge | Description |
| Differences between India and Pakistan | Differences on cross-border terrorism, geopolitics, Kashmir dispute. |
| Differences between India and China | India’s concern over China’s BRI initiative and Chinese expansionist policy on India’s borders. |
| Intelligence sharing | India may be hesitant to share intelligence with Pakistan and China within the SCO’s anti-terrorism structures. |
| SCO’s Stance on Kashmir | The SCO may not take a firm stance on the Kashmir dispute that India would like. China is likely to take Pakistan’s side, creating tensions. |
| Limited support for the India-China border dispute | The SCO’s other members may not have the capability to stand up to China in any border dispute between India and China, limiting the SCO’s ability to help India. |
| Containing China’s rise | India wants to contain China’s influence in the region, but joint containment efforts may not happen within the confines of the SCO. |
| Afghanistan is not part of SCO | Cooperation with Central Asian states is important for India in combating terrorism in Afghanistan, but Afghanistan is not part of the SCO. |
Conclusion:
While the SCO has been successful in attracting a growing number of regional states, its internal contradictions are casting a shadow over its strategic coherence.
Insta Links:
Mains Links
SCO serves India’s quest for geopolitical balance and regional engagement, however, any benefits from it are cancelled out by the presence of China and Pakistan. Has India gained anything substantial from the SCO? Critically examine. (15M)
