Does the Shanghai Cooperation Organization represent an example of a military alliance? *

Founded in 2001 with China, the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as members, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an emerging multilateral organization in Central Asia and has been characterized as a security organization, a regional forum, and an anti-terrorism coalition. Another widespread perception of the SCO is as a Russian and Chinese-led alliance created to counterbalance the US supremacy – both at the regional and global levels. Indeed, a number of analysts, especially in the US, have compared the SCO with the Warsaw Pact, and speculated over whether this organization might develop into a counterweight to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and whether the world is witnessing the start of a new Eastern bloc. ¹ Frederick W. Stakelbeck, Jr., states that ‘the SCO is a menacing confederacy of powerful nations arising out of the shadows of the Cold War that could cause tremendous global instability and even lead to war’. ² Despite the fact that India and Iran are only observers with huge differences in terms of foreign policy, he considers this organization to have the potential of becoming the most powerful alliance on earth, given the combination of Russia's energy, military and technology expertise; China and India's economic and human capital, and Iran's enormous energy resources as well as growing military capabilities. ³ Similarly, Peter Brookes of the Heritage Foundation asserts that ‘Russia may be looking to create “a new and improved” Asian Warsaw Pact, wielding large armies, big economies, nukes and lots of oil/gas’. ⁴