thats awesome. mahamood amercrazyguy is coming to china. i think i just threw up a little in my mouth. seriously.

Well I'll agree with Richard that the SCO is not inconsequential. But the potential consequences are (or will be) far less important than these MSM news reports AND the analysts on which they're relying, have been suggesting. Because: history and geography are always, ALWAYS more significant than bureaucracies or stated aspirations, and especially more significant than any statements by China's Foreign Ministry.

Thus, just one observation I'll make, for now, about what the cited analyst David Wall said above:

"...the only common denominators are a communist past or present, and autocratic to ruthless dictatorial governments."

Hoo-wee. That boy needs to go back to school, because what he said is true, but not true enough. Because: He completely disregarded THE MOST important common denominator, which is geography.

Look at a map. The SCO (as I've said here before) consists principally of the Russia and China and the former Soviet state of Central Asia. And those Central Asian states are the focus of the SCO. OF COURSE they share a common background of (nominal) "Communism."
But when Russia (including those Central Asian statelets) and China were both "Communist" they were at each other's throats most of the time.

And yes now they're talking to Iran. So what?
America has been in bed with dictatorial and religiously fanatical Saudi Arabia for decades. Etc etc.

I mean, there is no common ideology among these states, NOR is there any superordinate common interest other than concerns over the stability of Central Asia - and yes that does include how Russia and China both want access to the oil (AND to the oil of Iran, yes.) But Mr Wall is over-analysing (and being overly abstract) when he talks about the SCO having aims of countering "Western influence."

What the hell is "Western influence?" Bad Hollywood movies with lots of helicopters? The particular interests of France, or of Italy? "Western influence" and "Western interests" are obsolete concepts which should have been buried along with the Berlin Wall.

I'll just sum this up again by saying: Look at a map. This is more about relations between Russia and China - ie, about avoiding conflict between Russia and China over Central Asia - than about any strategic "anti-Western" club of dictators.

One thing to note is that SCO is not a treaty organization like NATO. NATO is a military alliance whose members are obligated by treaty (which has the force of law) to support each other in war. SCO, on the other hand, is a "cooperation organization" where countries can talk about cooperating on a range of matters but are actually not obligated to do anything.

BTW, SCO was actually formed before 9/11 and its original purpose was focused on stopping the Taliban from spreading its influence and its brand of Islam in the region, which is something all of the original members of SCO were deeply concerned with.

Ditto, what Hui Mao said.

Weirdly enough - because I'm hostile to the delusional ambitions of many Chinese Nationalists - I actually approve of the SCO, overall. I think the SCO is good for the World - and I think it is ESPECIALLY good for "the West."

If anything, the SCO is actually GOOD for the USA AND for Europe, insofar as the USA and Europe share a common interest with Russia (and to a FAR LESSER extent, with China) about keeping stability in Central Asia. And it is more to "the West's" advantage than China's.

And I say this as someone who is very concerned about containing the aspirations of the psychotically Nationalist faction of China's central government.

This is what REAL "realpolitik" means.

The SCO - to the extent that is has any real effects at all - is actually a way in which to LIMIT and to CONTAIN any expansionist aspirations of the extreme Nationalists of China.

And if you ask, HOW? The answer is: Russia.
Russia's role in the SCO, is, PRECISELY, the role of containing China.

And if you don't understand this, then you need to learn a lot more about the ways of Russian strategy/diplomacy.... :-)

I'll agree with Ivan on the overexaggeration of the SCO by the MSM. But I don't necessarily think it's "good" for the USA and Europe. China's primary goal with the SCO is, like Ivan said, to remove a threat from its northwestern borders so it can focus on projecting its influence through SE Asia and circumventing Japan and Australia (which, btw, has now eliminated Chinese influence in the Solomon Islands--lovely job in instigating a riot to push out those annoying Chinese businessmen and open the door for Aussie peacekeepers.)

t-co,

Ah-ha. Well, if China wants to try to "project its influence" through Viet Nam, they're welcome to it.
(Sardonic, gloating smile here.....)

Ivan,

Russian needs China as an ally. Probably more so than China needs Russia. Think about it. America is not friendly at all to Russia, much less friendlier than to China. All the eastern European nations resent Russia too. And so too do the Western Europeans.

Personally, I think America perceives a reinvigorated Russia as a greater threat to its hegemony than China will ever be.

So what better way(for Russia) than to use the SCO to cement relations with China and the central Asian states who are afraid of grassroots Islamic fundamentalists?

Imagine if China suddenly goes pro-American, Russia's entire southern flank will be completely exposed. With NATO expansion into Eastern Europe, and American hegemony in the Middle East, and then a alienated China going over to the Americans, American "containment" of Russia would be virtually complete.

So that's why the SCO is so important. It's really about Russia trying to break American containment, which, after listening to Ivan's disdain for China, I don't think it's a bad idea afterall.

Oh, well, after that BRILLIANT analysis by "TIME", I've changed my mind.

Especially after I saw how he writes like a Chinese university student, parroting every single catch-phrase the CCP instructors use in their political education classes.

Good God. THAT kind of blinkered ignorance is exactly why I keep saying: China is NOT the stuff of a rising power. You can't create a world power out of brainwashed zombies who don't know a bloody thing about how the world works.

Ivan,

Apparently it's you who don't know how the world works.

Do you think it's a coincidence that Putin is now opting the SCO?
How about Russia's support for Iran?
How about Russia's secret aid to Saddam Hussein when America was at war with Iraq?
How about Russia's support for pro-Russian Ukrainian and Belorurussian parties?

These are all acts to break and thwart a perceived but very REAL American "containment" policy to contain a Russia that might rise again.

Anyways, that's why there's the SCO.