Afghanistan, Turkey join Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

Dalforce 1941 SG

SCO accepts Afghanistan as observer, Turkey as dialogue partner

Members Observers Dialogue Partners

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has decided to grant Afghanistan

observer status, and accept Turkey as a dialogue partner, Chinese President

Hu Jintao said on Thursday.

Hu announced the decision made by the SCO member states at a press conference

held after the SCO Beijing summit running from Wednesday to Thursday in Beijing.

China currently serves as SCO president.

Member states of the SCO will work to facilitate trade and investment, in a bid to tap

economic potential within the bloc, Hu said.

Hu told the media that SCO member states have agreed to enhance cooperation in

thesectors of finance,transportation, energy, telecommunications and agriculture.

To advance regional economic development, the organization will forge ahead with its

work on the establishment of a special account and development bank, Hu noted.

This year marks the beginning of the second decade of the SCO.

Its development in thenext decade will weigh heavily on the peace and development

of its member states, theregion and the world, according to the Chinese president.

He explained that member states have approved a midterm development strategic

plan,and agreed to build the SCO into a harmonious community.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90883/7839137.html

Underpaid SG

lol Russia and China members only, and I see Tibet is a “dialogue partner” Razz

Vietnam and Cambodia u think China will treat them like equal members? lol

weasel1962 SG

From China's perspective, the SCO countries involved are mainly oil/gas pipeline owners in central asia. China SLOC concerns in those regions has nothing to do with Vietnam or Cambodia. Neither of the latter are members in this central asian grouping.

alize SG

And the fact that China's frontier provinces are not keen on being part of China. They were invaded militarily and demographically anyway.

weasel1962 SG

And the fact that China's frontier provinces are not keen on being part of China. They were invaded militarily and demographically anyway.

All of China were at some point in time militarily invaded and culturally sini-cised. Even Beijing. Same goes with the US of A (whites invaded and went west, north then took over south) and many other countries. As to not being keen, that's like saying Hougang is not being keen on being ruled by the current Govt. Hougang still part of Singapore. Totally irrelevant from a China legal standpoint on territorial integrity.

The fact is countries recognise the borders and the locals don't have the strength to do anything about it. Some foreigners would love to balkanise China further (as they had done with USSR, Korea, ROC, Pak/India etc). Nothing to do with SCO though.

alize SG

A territory having been invaded does in fact give rise to legal issues and time since invasion is not a bar. Considered are the self-determination of the population, the impact of the claim on their rights and whether the claim has been sustained or lain dormant, yet no one factor is definitive. That is why the UK has strong basis for insisting on self-determination in the Falklands but even then, neither country can be confident of winning if it went to court.

Part of the SCO's goal is to get neighbouring countries politically and economically invested and aligned with China. It prevents secessionist groups from undertaking cross-border activities and building the momentum for a secessionist campaign. Which though unlikely to succeed, can cause serious practical and image problems and prompt secession in other Chinese regions.

Separately I doubt there was an outside intention to split USSR, India, Korea with the intention of weakening them. We know the impetus came from within.

Dalforce 1941 SG

SCO: Coping with changing times
By M K Bhadrakumar

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has always been the sum total of the concord available in the relationship between China and Russia. This is also where the grouping's strength and weakness would lie. The SCO's summit meeting in Beijing last week bears this out.

Ten years on, the identity of SCO - which includes China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - is still evolving. It is far less than a formal alliance but is much more than a mere "talking shop". It still has no "leader" as such and it takes pride in being a novel form of multilateralism, but then, nothing can move on the SCO agenda without China and/or Russia nodding assent.

Thus, Russia would favor India's admission as a full member but China wouldn't; Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan would favor Iran's admission, but Russia and China wouldn't; China wants Turkey in as "dialogue partner" and Russia wouldn't mind; most certainly, both Russia and China want Afghanistan in as an "observer" and Kabul is indeed "in".

The SCO has no "implementation" agencies but its voice is increasingly getting heard. Its primary focus used to be Central Asia but it is beginning to cast its net wide in Eurasia as a whole and in neighboring regions.

It has a focal point of cooperation in anti-terrorist activity but has no unified "command and control" structure and ultimately it is up to the member countries individually to follow through. It is not a military bloc but its military exercises are all the same enhancing its strategic cohesion and deepening its defense and security cooperation...

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/NF12Ad01.html

alize SG

Don't hope China disintegrates. Even assuming it does, you can't just go in and lift out their nuclear weapons like you probably can with Pakistan'

And you know China people. They sell everything...

Dalforce 1941 SG

Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is considering granting Armenia and Sri Lanka the status of observer, says Kirill Barsky, the Russian President's Special Representative for the SCO.

Russian mass media quote Barsky as saying that Sri Lanka, who is the SCO's dialogue partner, and Armenia have applied for the status of observer. The applications are being considered.

Barsky says that some other countries are also interested in the SCO membership.

Members of Shanghai Cooperation Organization are Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, observers are Mongolia, India, Iran and Pakistan, dialogue partners are Belarus and Sri Lanka.

http://www.arminfo.info/index.cfm?objectid=12E26920-B219-11E1-B548F6327207157C

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article2681358.ece

Dalforce 1941 SG

Aug. 25, 2012

Sochi (Bocharov Ruchei) - Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said he is interested in the export of Ukrainian high-tech products to Asian countries and said Ukraine would like to get observer status in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

"The high-tech industry and its products are points of growth in economics and we are interested in working together with you to be able to work on third countries' markets, primarily in the CIS and other countries," Yanukovych said while meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi.

Yanukovych said Russia is "adapted" and is a member of various international structures formed by the countries of the Asian region.

"For example, we would like you to become our partner in an organization such as SCO. We would like to get observer status in this organization to be able to take part in the integration processes taking place in the organization," Yanukovych said.

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/yanukovych-ukraine-would-like-to-get-observer-status-in-shanghai-cooperation-organization-312045.html