SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL CONSTELLATION IN THE CENTRAL ASIAN REGION

SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANIZATION WITH

IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL

CONSTELLATION IN THE CENTRAL ASIAN REGION

Introduction

The dynamics of relations between countries changed after the end of the Cold War. The

unification of West and East Germany in 1990 marked the end of tensions between the

United States and the Soviet Union. It also led to the dissolution of Moscow's military

alliance, the Warsaw Pact. The collapse of the Soviet Union as the patron state of

communist movements around the world caused the movement to decline rapidly.

Surviving communist countries such as China, North Korea, and Vietnam tend to try to

remain accepted in international relations, by attracting investors aimed at accelerating the

country's economic acceleration program by implementing a moderate political policy of

socialist democratic ideology compared to classical communism, this makes European

countries dominated by social democratic and liberal parties no longer consider Communism

as a major threat in the formulation of their foreign policy.(Halliday, 1995).

The shift in the focus of the coalition of countries formed is the emergence of cooperation in

the economic field followed by an increase in the needs of countries in the field of advanced

industry for greater access in world markets and foreign natural resources to support the

country's development program or often called the energy crisis, so that it will cause crises

and foreign issues between countries. Development instruments The economy is

indispensable in establishing cooperation and relations between countries, one of which is in

the aspect of national defense, which means that economic instruments in the post-cold war

era are more appropriate if used in the efforts of countries in achieving a country's foreign

policy goals.(Rothgeb, 1995).

The enormous influence of military power on foreign policy has been applied by countries

that are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This is used as a basis

for cooperation with countries outside the region. The strength of the military campaigns of

NATO countries is increasingly showing its existence by participating in the resolution of

conflicts and security disturbances in the regions that occur in the world. In 2010, NATO

countries reformulated their defense and security strategies with the aim of anticipating new

threats amid global dynamics. One of the points emphasized in the strategic text is NATO's

commitment to political or military engagement with its partners around the world to protect

the global order from opponents of the international order who seek to change the rules of

democracy and post-war prosperity 2nd (Leyen, 2019)

This got a reaction from several countries that did not agree with the ideas of NATO

countries, especially against the United States which dedicated as a world police force, thus

giving rise to a new coalition in the Europe and Asia (Eurasia) region initiated by post-

Soviet countries with the formation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SOC) to

balance the application of foreign policy of NATO countries in the Asian region, which has

the background of fighting terrorism in Asia, of course, will have an impact on regional

security stability, especially Central Asia. Abundant in natural resources, the Central Asian

region is an attraction for major countries such as the United States, Russia and China. In

addition, this region is also a connecting road between the continents of Asia, Europe and

even Africa. Countries in the Central Asian region have abundant natural resources in the

form of natural gas, oil and coal. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are the world's second largest

producers of tin and tungsten with natural gas reserves of 33.1 trillion cubic feet and 38.5

trillion cubic feet respectively, and Turkmenistan has larger natural gas reserves of 617.3

trillion cubic feet in 2014 (The BP Statistical, 2016:20). Turkmenistan is the world's 25th

largest producer of natural gas and 20th largest exporter of natural gas.

Research Methods

The type of research used is library research. According to Mestika Zed (2003), literature

research can be defined as activities related to methods of collecting library information,

reading and storing research materials and processing them. A literature review can also

examine various references and results of previous similar research, useful for obtaining a

theoretical basis for the problem under study (Sarwono, 2006). Literature review also means

data collection techniques by reviewing books, libraries, notes and various reports related to

the problem to be solved (Nazir, 2003). Meanwhile, according to Sugiyono (2012), literature

research is a study of theories, references, and other scientific literature related to culture,

values, and norms that develop in the social situation under study.

Results and Discussion

Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SOC)

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization abbreviated as SCO was established in June 2001

by six countries namely Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, China as well as

Russia (India and Pakistan joined in 2017). The SCO is also an update of the Shanghai Five,

or the previously mentioned five-nation negotiating format (excluding Uzbekistan) that was

formed in 1996 to discuss border demilitarization after the collapse of the Soviet Union

(Aris, 2013). By strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation, preventing confrontation

and conflict, and maintaining mutual and indivisible security, the SCO aims to build a multi-

center world order that fully complies with the standards of international law and the

principle of mutual respect, which serves the interests of all States taking into account

common needs and desires.

Since its inception, the SCO has agreed on various areas of cooperation, including

promoting regional defense cooperation. This is reflected in the content of the SCO charter,

which stipulates the importance of maintaining peace and security through joint prevention

of acts of terrorism, separatism, extremism and international crime. Therefore, the use of

actors and institutions in the defense sector serves to avoid these threats in a targeted

manner. Through the SCO, member states are given space to develop defense

regionalization through the mechanism of the Departmental Defense Council, which is

supported by a terrorist monitoring institution called RATS (Regional Anti-Terrorist

Structure). (Xiaodong, 2012)

As a multinational and multicultural organization, the SCO seeks to prevent a clash of

civilizations across the region, working together to tackle terrorism, separatism and

extremism, illegal drug and arms trafficking, and transnational criminal activities such as

illegal migration. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SOC) countries also conduct

joint military exercises to promote cooperation and coordination against terrorism and other

external threats, and to maintain regional peace and stability in the Central Asian region.

International Politics in Central Asia

The efforts of countries in the Central Asian region to re-stabilize after being separated from

the Soviet Union, in some aspects of which are domestic affairs, where the security situation

in Asia will never be separated from the influence of large countries that also have interests

in Central Asia. Big power countries often make the Asian region as one of the solutions for

their interests, because this region is an area used as access to trade transportation and the

large supply of abundant natural resources, especially from energy sources.

Central Asia has become an object of territorial struggle with various interests from major

countries in the world and wants a cooperative relationship with Central Asia to be able to

control its natural products. This is what makes Central Asia has great potential to get

interference from outsiders (Dugis, 2015). The countries in Central Asia, which are in fact

former Soviet Union countries, make Russia not want to give up its existence and Sphere of

Influence where there is an area dominated by the national interests of a particular power. In

a sphere of influence, the great power does not have formal power over the countries in its

sphere of influence. But the big actor is in fact able to force other parties to accept an

observance of political behavior in accordance with the interests of the big country (Plano,

1990) so that Russia always tries to maintain influence and power in Central Asia through

interference in various issues for regional countries.

At the same time, for democratic and foreign policy reasons, the United States and NATO

allies increased their presence in the Central Asian region after the September 11 incident to

combat terrorism, the Taliban and Al-Qaeda networks can always influence the Central

Asian region because local people still live in poverty and drug and human trafficking is

rampant. Using the theme of terrorism, this is one of the reasons why American actions

intervene and establish certain relationships. The United States' approach to Central Asia is

also inseparable from the commercial side of the United States, because of its interest in oil

and other energy sources in the Central Asian region to support the country's industry.

Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Implications of International Political

Constellation in the Central Asian Region

After the Cold War that occurred between the Soviet Union and the United States, this led to

a dynamic where it could be concluded that many countries in the world used military force

in the concept of balance of power so strongly colored the dynamics of international politics

at least until the end of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union in

1991, followed by a universal paradigm shift on conventional (traditional) issues such as

foreign policy, which now also includes the blurring of state sovereignty boundaries due to

global issues (non-conventional issues), national security issues, military power and

terrorism become the main part of foreign policy issues of countries in the world by forming

alliances between countries (Joseph, 1997). Some discussions about the formation of the

SCO coalition of Central Asian countries include, for example:

Russia and the Post-Soviet States in SCO engagement and political issues in Central

Asia

Russia as the initiator of the SCO created a power vacuum in Central Asia after the collapse

of the Soviet Union by reducing Moscow's role. This situation led to the United States trying

to expand its influence in the post-Soviet states in Central Asia. With the rise of American

influence after the September 11 attacks, Russia felt threatened. So did the post-Soviet

states, which were more comfortable developing relations with Moscow. Later, Russia's

cooperation with the post-Soviet states resulted in a commitment to the creation of the SCO.

The SCO is a regional cooperation organization that focuses on politics, security, economy

and culture.

The Caspian Sea's natural resource grabbing problem is also marked by efforts to build oil

and natural gas pipelines to ports in the Persian Gulf, Mediterranean Sea and Andaman Sea.

Oil pipelines are important because the Caspian Sea is a deep sea and is located inland, so

the commercialization of oil and gas is highly dependent on oil pipelines leading to the high

seas. In connection with the management of oil resources in the Central Asian region, Russia

has started multifaceted cooperation with the countries of the Central Asian region.

In December 2007, Russia successfully concluded an agreement with Kazakhstan and

Turkmenistan on the construction of a new gas pipeline on the east coast of the Caspian Sea

to Russia. In addition to the Caspian Sea, Central Asia is very important to the great powers.

So many countries have different interests in controlling the region, major countries that

want the region as an example are the United States and Russia. In this case, the United

States has important oil interests in the countries of the Central Asian region because of the

growing demand for American oil consumption, even in 1991 the United States consumed

up to 17 million barrels per day. Then responding to this encouragement, countries in the

Central Asian region that have high-quality petroleum resources, the United States then tried

to establish various cooperation with countries in the Central Asian region, so that the

United States could ensure the smooth availability of petroleum energy in the region

As we know, Russia is a country that desperately needs oil and gas to fuel its economy.

Most of Russia's industries make Russia's need for oil and gas very large. That is why the

Russian government prioritizes efforts to increase cooperation with Central Asian countries

rich in natural resources, such as Kazakhstan, which is the world's top coal producer and,

together with Uzbekistan, the 10th largest uranium reserve. Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are

countries with hydroelectric resources, which can be used to generate electricity in Russia

(Cordial, 2012).

When the SCO was established, Russia was involved in securing and exploiting the Caspian

Sea's oil and natural gas resources. As Russia is a distributor and supplier of 40 percent of

energy sources in European countries. In addition, Russia has more than 130,000 oil wells,

about 2,000 oil and gas reserves, and 150 billion barrels of oil reserves. Energy cooperation

with the SCO, such as the SCO Energy Club, also facilitates Russian oil and natural gas

exports to China as Russian pipelines pass through the Central Asian region. This strategic

position also serves to secure Russia's political interests in surrounding countries, both in

Europe and Asia.

China in SCO engagement and political issues in Central Asia.

China is one of the main drivers of the SCO regional security organization that is able to

match the strength of NATO and the European Union in the Asian region, where China has

been able to build its economy and military strength, with a background of communist

ideology that has implemented a political policy of socialist democratic ideology in building

its country, it can be said that China aims to match the strength of NATO, especially US

unilateralism in the Asian region. With a communist ideology background that has

implemented socialist democratic ideology political policies in developing its country, it can

be said that China aims to match the power of NATO, especially the unilateralism of the

United States in the Asian region. China wants to empower other SCO members to jointly

combat the movement of fundamentalism and extremism on the land border, strengthen

economic cooperation with the New Silk Road Economic Bel (land) and Century Maritime

Silk Road (sea) silk road programs, which are strengthened by China's interest in countering

US hegemony in the Natuna Sea.

South China prioritizes the SCO to facilitate economic cooperation between China and SCO

member states. China understands that the relationship between Central Asian countries

through the SCO offers several geopolitical advantages (Marten, 2015). With the SCO

dominated by China, China can easily establish cooperation with other Central Asian

countries. For example, cooperation in the energy sector, which China desperately needs.

Some Central Asian countries are exporters and act as oil and gas routes from the Middle

East, making it easier to secure China's energy supply.

Central Asia as part of the Asian region is used by China as an effort to increase economic

and political dominance as the United States does over Latin America and South America.

This can be shown by China's large control over oil and gas fields in the Central Asian

region and the subsequent investment and political influence of China in several Central

Asian regions. China has more power than other member states (Dharmaputra, 2010). This

is reflected in the selection of the organization's name that reflects China's power in this

organization, namely (Shanghai). Shanghai is a city in China that is a very important

economic center of trade and communication for China, where the Shanghai Cooperation

Organization (SCO) was founded.

India in SCO engagement and political issues in Central Asia.

India's accession to various economic, energy and security benefits compels India to take a

more proactive approach towards the SCO. Capacity building in the Central Asian region,

ties with the Eurasian region, the evolving security situation in Afghanistan, counter-

terrorism and counter-narcotics cooperation, and strengthening economic and investment

ties are some of the goals or interests that India seeks to achieve through the SCO. India's

membership in the SCO contributes to the prosperity of the region and strengthens security

to protect people from the threat of radical ideologies, violence and terrorism.

In the universal discussion, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) coalition has

raised issues related to the Afghan crisis related to potential threats such as the proliferation

of a large number of weapons remaining in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of troops.

America and its allies, drug trafficking, growing terrorist and extremist atmosphere,

uncontrolled migration, and human trafficking. In addition, the SCO has been pressuring the

US and its allies to take responsibility for reconstruction and development in Afghanistan

since the 2001 invasion, so that the SCO coalition will gain a positive image in the eyes of

Afghanistan, which is currently under Taliban control, which will affect the stability of the

security conditions of the SCO countries from the threat of terrorism, otherwise it will make

the threat of America and its NATO allies in the Central Asian region.

Conclusions

The formation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Central Asia, which

initially developed multi-profile cooperation for the maintenance and strengthening of the

world, as well as security stability in the Eurasian Region after the cold war, the impact of

the fear of Post-Soviet State countries considering security stability after the September 11

incident, the Central Asian Region which has always been considered potentially affected by

the Taliban and Al- Qaeda networks. This arises because of the social instability of local

communities who are still experiencing poverty and the rampant drug trade and human

trafficking, and the issue of terrorism is one of the reasons for the actions of the United

States to intervene in the Central Asian Region.

There are factors of economic and trade interests for SCO member countries, state security

in the context of facing the threat of terrorism due to the control of Afghanistan by the

Taliban group. Changes in the coalition of countries in the Central Asian region in addition

to aiming to bring closer cooperative relations between countries in the Central Asian region

also aim to close the entry of US influence in the Central Asian region, which can create

regional instability with the concept of Global Foreign Policy regardless of the interests and

goals of Central Asian countries.