Shanghai Cooperation Organization (Sco) News & Analysis
For Russia, Regional Instability Means Opportunity in Central Asia
Faced with geopolitical setbacks across Eurasia, Moscow is turning to Central Asia - one of the few regions where Russian institutional influence persists in structured form - to solidify its influence amid a shifting global order.
China–India Rapprochement and Its Strategic Implications for Afghanistan
Shifts in Asian geopolitics are creating new opportunities for Afghanistan, but administrative and security challenges must be overcome for Kabul to take full advantage of them.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Rising Global Ambitions
The SCO, with its expanding membership and ambitious goals, stands at a critical juncture in its quest for greater global influence.
Backgrounder: Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
This backgrounder seeks to offer an in-depth understanding of the SCO’s history, its strategic motives, and the trends that have emerged over time, while also examining its role and relevance in contemporary geopolitics.
Kazakhstan: at the Crossroads and in the Crosshairs
In the backyard of a debilitated Russia and in the pathway of an ascendant China, Tokayev pursues an outlet to the wider world
India Needs a “China Strategy” in Central Asia
The Central Asian republics are looking for a geopolitical hedge against China. India can be a good fit.
Glacier Watch: China-Kazakhstan Water Conflict and the Lake Balkhash Basin
Glacier shrinkage in the Lake Balkhash basin is set to exacerbate water shortages in an already arid part of the world, creating a potential water conflict between China and Kazakhstan.
Sino-Russian Relations: Toward a Second Split?
Sino-Russian relations have flourished under a mutual disdain for US global influence. But is the relationship really as healthy as it seems?
Kazakhstan’s Presidential Transition and Central Asian Geopolitics
Policy continuity is at a premium ahead of Kazakhstan’s presidential elections.
Central Asia and Afghanistan: Helping Your Neighbor
Exploring the role of Central Asian governments in stabilizing Afghanistan.
Central Asia in 2018: What’s the Future of the C5+1?
Washington has been making minor inroads into Central Asia, but will it be enough to stave off diplomatic irrelevance vis-à-vis China and Russia?
Will an Ascendant Uzbekistan Challenge Kazakhstan’s Leadership in Central Asia?
The rise of President Mirziyoyev to power in Uzbekistan, a country with untapped economic potential, could signal a shift in Central Asian geopolitics.
Geopolitics and Conflict Potential in Central Asia and South Caucasus
How has Central Asia avoided the protracted territorial disputes of Ukraine and the South Caucasus? In a word: geography.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Policy: Escaping Geography in 2018
The foreign policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan is a textbook example that geography still matters and can, and does, influence a government’s foreign policy.
Fact Sheet: China-Central Asia-Western Asia Corridor
An overview of the China-Central Asia-Western Asia Corridor, one of the main economic conduits envisioned by China’s One Belt One Road Initiative.
The China-Russia Competition for Central Asia: Uzbekistan
This series takes a country-by-country look at the geopolitical competition between China and Russia in Central Asia.
The China-Russia Competition for Central Asia: Kyrgyzstan
This series takes a country-by-country look at the geopolitical competition between China and Russia in Central Asia.
SCO Expands Size, But Not Cooperation
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization recently took in India and Pakistan, but divergent interests within the group’s membership will keep it from becoming a major player on the world stage.
China Making Inroads into Central Asia
China’s One Belt One Road is making great strides economically in Central Asia. Is improved security cooperation next?
What Can North Korea Learn from Myanmar’s Transformation?
Myanmar’s conversion from pariah state to investment opportunity has seen it return to partial international respectability. Could Asia one day offer North Korea a similar chance?
