The Shanghai Cooperation Organization achieved a major boost in momentum at last month’s Astana summit, but realizing its potential will require consistent leadership and resources over the coming year from the Chinese presidency.

As NATO and the SCO expand simultaneously, the situation will become extremely tricky and complex. Therefore, after finishing membership procedures for India and Pakistan, the SCO should refrain from considering further expansion for a while, as it digests the newly added complexities, and should concentrate on enhancing economic interactions.

On the evening of June 14, 2017, Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended upon invitation the reception of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Day held by SCO

If the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) accepted Turkey as a member state, that could serve to improve the NATO-Russian relationship, further promote SCO economic integration, and add strength in counteracting terrorism, separatism and extremism, the primary goals of SCO. Russian suspicions of Turkey, however, pose one of several challenges to the idea.

The SCO emerged as a convenient platform for the Central Asian leadership to preserve domestic status quo by accommodating the ambitions of both Moscow and Beijing within one framework. However, the SCO fails to project itself as an effective regional organization, and is perceived more so as a discussion forum.

Far from competing with US interests, the two meetings offer blueprints for more and better cooperation with Washington in a new world order.

The partnership of developing countries offers a benign counterweight to Western dominance in the world, and can help shape a “new normal” in international relations.

As the focus of the West was fixed in Greece and Iran, the 7th BRICS Summit began a massive shift from a dialogue to an economic partnership – one whose full impact will be witnessed in the coming years.

China is emerging as a much stronger player in the Central Asian region, with the support of Russian resources. Central Asian states may exploit this Sino-Russian rapprochement in order to advance their own goals, receiving security and funding from Moscow and Beijing, while not being required to change political regimes.