What a repulsing comment, on the day of our
great triumph!
The Beijing leadership is convinced it has made much headway in combating "American hegemony" and building a multi-polar world order.
While it is too early to say whether these claims are justified, there is little question Beijing's frenetic diplomatic maneuvers the past couple of months have broken new ground.
Firstly, Beijing has for the first time joined a regional bloc. This is despite former premier Zhou Enlai's commitment way back in the 1950s that the nation would always remain non-aligned.
Compared with the Shanghai Five, the SCO's precursor that was formed in 1996, the new entity envisages exchanges and cooperation that are tighter and more extensive than a number of regional grouping of nations.
This was despite Jiang's assertion last week that the SCO was opposed to the formation of alliances, and that it was not "aimed at other countries."
Jiang, Putin and other leaders also took pains to play down defense ties among the six, saying there was no question of a military alliance.
The SCO communique pointedly omitted the military dimension when it cited areas of interaction, which include politics, trade, technology, culture, education, culture and the environment.
However, the defense ministers of the six nations were in Shanghai last week, and military cooperation, including joint exercises and research and development of weaponry, was very much on the agenda.
The joint exploitation in Central Asia of oil and gas, which are essential to Chinese ability to achieve civilian and military targets, will also be a major catalyst for synergy among the SCO states.
tsi |
