ReviewingtheSCO’sdevelopmenttrajectory,Xistressedthattheevolutionoftheorganizationwas“amajorbreakthroughinthetheoriesandpracticesofinternationalrelations,createdanewmodelforregionalcooperation,andcontributedtopeaceanddevelop－mentintheregion.”
RegionalIntegration
Mostcomprehensiveregionalorganizationsstartedfromlimitedtradeandeconomicintegrationandthendevelopedcooperationinthepoliticalandsecurityspheres.Thisisalsotheprocessofregionalintegrationadvocatedbyneo-functionalism,oneofthetheoriesofWesterninternationalrelations.
ThefoundingoftheSCOisbasedonthepoliticalmutualtrustaccumulatedbytheShanghaiFivemechanism,theprecursoroftheSCO,whichhadbeenintroducingconfidence-buildingmeasuresinborderareasandcollaboratinginsecurityareaslikemilitaryforcesreduction.Combatingterrorism,separatism,andextremismwastheorganization’spriormissionfromtheoutset.Therefore,thecreationoftheSCOoriginatesfromcooperationinpoliticalareas,whichistotallydifferentfromthetraditionalintegrationprocesswhereeconomicintegrationspillsoverintothepoliticalarea.
Createdinthepost-ColdWarworld,theSCOwastheresultofacommondesireofmemberstatestostrengthenregionalcooperationratherthandealwiththetumultuouschangesoftheinternationalpoliticalenvironment.Itisanorganizationwithanendogenousdrivingforce,distinguishingitselffromthosewhichwerepassivelyfoundedasthememberstateswantedtoallywitheachothertoformastrongergroupandresistpressurefromoutsidethegroup.
ShanghaiSpirit
TheShanghaiSpiritreflectstheSCO’sguidingprinciples,whichfeaturemutualtrust,mutualbenefit,equality,consultation,respectfordiversecivilizations,andpursuitofshareddevelopment.Mutualtrustandmutualbenefitarethepreconditionsforsmoothoperationoftheorganizationandwin-wincooperation.Equalityandconsultationaretheguidingprinciplesformemberstatestoestablishmultilateralpartnershipsthroughsincerelyconsultingwitheachotheronanequalfooting.Respectfordiversecivilizationsreferstotheattitudetowarddifferentcivilizations,cultures,politicalsystems,anddevelopmentpathsofmemberstates.ThepursuitofshareddevelopmentistheobjectiveoftheSCO.
SomeofthecorevaluesoftheShanghaiSpiritmayalsobeadoptedbyotherregionalorganizations,butonlytheShanghaiSpiritencompassesallofthem.ThesignificanceoftheShanghaiSpiritliesinthatiteffectivelyrespondstoconcernsofmemberstates.TheprincipleofmutualtrustandmutualbenefiteasesconcernsoverunevendistributionofbenefitsundertheframeworkoftheSCO.Theprincipleofequalityandconsultationensuresthatsmallcountrieswillnotbebulliedbybigones.RespectingdiversecivilizationshelpsmemberstatesbreaktheprophecyoftheClashofCivilizationsthroughdialogue.TheShanghaiSpiritmayappeartobeanabstractconcept,however,stayingcommittedtoitisthebasisfortheSCOtosurmountvariousobstaclesandmoveforwardsmoothly.
EmbracingInclusiveness
In2017,PakistanandIndiawereadmittedasfullmembersoftheSCO,expandingitsmemberstatesfromsixtoeight.Thedifferencesinnationalconditionsofthememberstateshavealwaysexistedsinceitsinceptionintermsofnotonlyhistoricaltradition,religionorideology,butalsonationalstrength,developmentpath,institutions,orethnicgroups.Despitethis,theSCOhasfunctionedasanopenandinclusiveregionalorganization,pursuingtheprincipleofnon-alliance,nonconfrontationandnottargetinganythirdparty,andactivelyestablishingconnectionswithnon-memberstatesandnationalorganizations.Itsdoorisalwaysopentonewmembers.
Itiscommonforinternationalorganizationstoadmitnewmembers.Ingeneral,regionalorganizationssetspecificrequirementsregardingpoliticalsystemsorgeographicallocationinsuchadmissions.Incomparison,theSCOisinclusiveandclearlypledgedtopromotingexchangesandmutuallearningamongdifferentcivilizationsandcultures.ThisiswhatdistinguishestheSCOfromotherregionalorganizations,andalsoanotherbreakthroughinacceptingnewmembersasaregionalorganization.
IthasbeenprovedthattheSCOisneitherjustatalkingshopnorparalyzedbyconflictsofinterestsbetweenChinaandRussia,effectivelydispellingtheungroundedaccusationsbyWesternmedia.Its17yearsofdevelopmentandachievementsproveitisanorganizationofstrongvitality.ItshowsthattheSCO,despiteinternaldiversity,couldsolveproblemscausedbydifferencesandachievetangibleandconcreteoutcomes.ThisismainlyattributedtotheguidingprinciplesanduniqueoperationalmechanismsoftheSCO,whichfacilitatetheachievementoftangibleresultsandaccumulationofpoliticaltrustintheprocessofcooperation.Inthisway,memberstatessuccessfullyseekcommongroundwhilepreservingtheirdifferences,boostmutualconfidence,andachieveshareddevelopment.Intheprocess,thememberstateshaveshownincreasingconfidenceinthefutureoftheSCO.Qingdaoissprucingupineverypossiblewayasthecitygetsreadytowelcomevisitorsfromafartothe18thSCOSummit.SayingNotoHegemony
TheprincipleofmutualrespectamongmemberstatesisabreakthroughoftheSCOmanifestingtheShanghaiSpirit.ChinaandRussiaweretwomajorpowerswithintheframeworkbefore2017.ThenumberincreasedtothreewhenIndiajoinedtheorganizationthatyear.Beforetheexpansion,ChinaandRussiamaintainedastablerelationshipwithothermemberstates,andnoclashbetweenbigandsmallcountrieswithintheframeworkeveroccurred.
Unlikesomeregionalorganizationswherehegemonyandpowerpoliticsprevailasbigpowersoftenbullyweakones,memberstatesoftheSCOdealwitheachotheronanequalfooting.Hegemonyandpowerpoliticsareusuallyplayedoutintwoscenarios.First,onepowerdominatesacertainregionalorganizationandgivesordersinthecapacityofahegemoniccountry.Second,twoormoredominatingpowersconspiretocoerceweakstatesintofollowingorders.Todate,therehavebeennosuchactsofhegemonyorpowerpoliticsamongtheSCOstates.
Inshort,theSCOtranscendsoutdatedconceptssuchastheClashofCivilizations,theColdWar,andzerosummentality,andhasshowcasedabrand-newmodelofregionalcooperationoverthepast17years.Certainly,theSCOisstillgrowing,asPresidentXisaid,“Theroadahead,bumpyasitmaybe,willleadtoapromisingfuture.”Whathesaidistoacknowledgeuncertaintiesinfuturedevelopment.Heisalsocallingforcorrespondingadjustmenttoadapttosuchchanges.Untilnow,theSCOhasindeedmadeamajorbreakthroughinthetheoriesandpracticesofinternationalrelationsanddeservestobelauded.C
ZENGXIANGHONGisaprofessorwiththeInstituteforCentralAsianStudiesofLanzhouUniversity.