China and Russia proximity and regional pre-eminence via the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - Report 02 Sep 2019 by Alex Teddy and Alexei Panin

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has promoted the creation of a series of regional international intergovernmental organizations to keep as many former Soviet Republics as possible close to Moscow. The CIS, the Eurasian Economic Union or the CSTO are among the best known examples of this trend. Russia’s leading role in these organizations is beyond question and it is at least partially rooted in its economic, military and demographic advantage over the rest of their members. Nevertheless, a clear exception to this type of international organizations is gradually acquiring a lot of attention – notwithstanding its hybrid nature – because Russia co-leads it together with China: namely, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

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