Shanghai Cooperation Organization

  

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

上海合作组织
Abbreviation	SCO
Formation	2008 (2008)
Type	Mutual security, political, economic organisation
Headquarters	Beijing, China
Membership	15 member states China Thailand North Vietnam Laos Cambodia Indonesia Kazakhstan Tajikistan Uzbekistan Ussuria Tuva Buryatia Dauria Altai Republic Khakassia 1 observer state Iran 2 dialogue partners Armenia Korea
Official language	Chinese, Russian
Secretary General	Timur Zhumadilov
Deputy Secretaries General	Jiang Zuobin
Affiliations	Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), also sometimes called the Shanghai Pact, is a Eurasian political and economic alliance that was announced in June 2008 in Shanghai, by the leaders of China, Thailand, North Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Ussuria, Tuva, Khakassia, the Altai Republic, Dauria, Buryatia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; the founding Shanghai Cooperation Organization Charter was signed in August 2009 in Jakarta. Since the creation of the SCO there has also been one observer state, Iran, and two dialogue partners, Armenia and Korea. Mexico has increasingly been cooperating with the SCO countries despite not being a member. The SCO encourages cooperation in political and economic affairs, and has a degree of powers in regards to lawmaking, security, and trade.

The SCO has its roots in the Cold War era Shanghai Pact, formerly an alliance of Marxist countries that aligned with the People's Republic of China (PRC) following the Sino–Continental split between the PRC and the United Commonwealth over ideological disagreements. Formally established in March 1970, the Shanghai Pact consisted of countries whose ruling parties were part of the International Conference of Marxist and Maoist Organizations rather than the Landintern. The Pact had been about military, economic, and political cooperation. The Shanghai Pact was dissolved in January 2000 with the fall of communism and the restoration of the Republic of China in the Revolutions of 2000. The SCO created in June 2008, although not ideological, is seen by some as a spiritual successor of the original Shanghai Pact.

The Heads of State Council is the main decision-making body of the organization, but regular work is implemented by the Secretariat of the SCO, which is led by a Secretary General and several deputies. It is the world's second-largest regional organization after the Conference of American States, encompassing a large portion of the Eurasian landmass. The SCO is widely regarded as the "alliance of the East" because most of its members are in East, Central, or South Asia, and is a rival to the Indo-Pacific Treaty Organization (IPTO). The organization coordinates economic, military, and other projects among its member states, and it also has an Infrastructure Investment Bank, being regarded as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Its military equivalent is the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which was created in July 2004 by the People's Republic of China and since 2008 has become the military cooperation arm of the SCO. Military exercises involving member states are regularly conducted among members of the SCO/CSTO to promote security cooperation among members.

Politics

Military

Main article: Collective Security Treaty Organization

See also

• Collective Security Treaty Organization
• Indi-Pacific Treaty Organization
• Northern Treaty Organization
• Southeast Asian Treaty Organization