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Tuesday, January 08, 2002 9:56 AM
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China Still Odd Man
Out in Central Asia
2320 GMT, 020107
Summary
Members of the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization met in Beijing Jan. 7 to discuss
Afghanistan and the war on terrorism. The lack of strategic coordination
since Sept. 11 among these six nations represents a major failure for the
fledgling group, which was established to provide a regional response to
terrorism, separatism and religious extremism in Central Asia. Although
Beijing is working to breathe life into the SCO, the individual and
bilateral actions of member states have allowed the United States to
establish a strategic position in Central Asia, leaving the organization
seriously weakened.
;)
Analysis
The foreign ministers
of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization -- which comprises Shanghai Five
members China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, along with
new member Uzbekistan -- met Jan. 7 in Beijing. Unlike the former Shanghai
Five, which dealt with border demarcation and political issues, the SCO
was established as a regional mechanism to combat terrorism, separatism
and religious extremism in Central Asia.
The meeting is the
first for the fledgling SCO, which just six months ago agreed at its
inception to strengthen security cooperation and establish a joint
anti-terrorism center in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The Sept. 11 attacks and the
subsequent U.S.-led bombings in Afghanistan offered a trial by fire for
the organization -- a trial it utterly failed. The lack of strategic
cooperation among the member states reveals the self-interests that will
keep the group from making headway. |
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Shanghai Five: Tackling Terrorism in Central
Asia
The
armed forces of five Central Asian powers have agreed to work
together in combating the threat of Islamic radicals in Central
Asia. For the first time, the Russian and Chinese militaries will
directly cooperate in the post-Cold War era. Though the threat of
Islamic militancy is unlikely to be contained any time soon,
Russia-China military cooperation in Central Asia might contribute
to the creation of a strategic alliance.
Analysis
The
General Staffs of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan met in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital, on April 18. The
generals signed the Bishkek Protocol, which provides for the
establishment of an anti-terrorism center to tackle the threat of
Islamic militants, reported Russia’s Nezavisimaya Gazeta on April
21.
Click
here to continue. |
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The SCO was formed to
expand China's and Russia's influence and involvement in Central Asian
affairs, to minimize regional competition between these two powers and to
present a united front in Central Asian policies to help keep the United
States at bay. Yet the unilateral and bilateral decisions made by member
states in response to Washington's war on terrorism have undercut the
group's solidarity. These actions also have let the United States gain a
strategic hold inside Central Asia, weakening China's position there.
The SCO has been
tested by the potential benefits and risks of each individual member's
response to Washington's global call to arms against terrorism. Russia
struck bargains with the United States based on its own strategic
interests, with little if any thought for China's concerns. So, too, did
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, all of which allowed U.S. troops on
their soil in an attempt to check overwhelming Russian influence.
This has underlined
China's lack of strategic influence in Central Asia while opening the door
to the United States. Whereas, before October, Central Asia was a testing
ground for Chinese and Russian cooperation and competition, it's future is
now being shaped by Russian and U.S. involvement, with China on the
sidelines. Ultimately, Beijing has gained the least in Central Asia, and
China's relationship with Pakistan -- a political hot potato now -- is
further straining its regional stature.
Chinese officials,
from Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan to President Jiang Zemin himself, are
now attempting to revitalize the SCO in order to regain some influence
over Central Asian politics. In separate speeches to the visiting foreign
ministers, both Tang and Jiang emphasized the need for unity and
cooperation among the member states, according to the official People's
Daily. More directly, they stressed the importance of shifting the
anti-terrorism battle to the United Nations' hands -- insinuating that
Washington should no longer dominate the issue.
The final statement by
the SCO foreign ministers strongly reflected China's position. It offered
little that was new, however, regarding substantive cooperation among all
member states. The United States is now firmly entrenched in Central Asia,
changing the dynamics of regional security and further undermining
Beijing's clout among the "Stans."
The SCO has failed
spectacularly in its first test as an expanded regional security
organization, and there are few signs that it will achieve efficacy
anytime soon. |
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