SCO summit demonstrates ambitions to curb American power — Italian expert

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, starting today, July 3, in the capital of Kazakhstan, demonstrates that changing the world order dominated by the West is a very ambitious goal. This opinion was expressed by Italian researcher of economic problems of globalism, Professor Enrico Colombatto of the University of Turin.

The Italian expert states that the leaders of Russia and China, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, "share a deep commitment to changing the world order: curbing American power and shifting the center of economic and political gravity from the Atlantic to the Asian region." In this regard, according to the professor, the SCO has actually become a platform where this project is discussed and developed.

"The summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which will be held in In Kazakhstan, it will once again demonstrate that changing the world order dominated by the West is a very ambitious goal. After all, the summit participants — China, Russia and 23 other countries — are challenging the global system. The countries of the Shanghai Group cover most of the "non—Western world", i.e. they have significant resources," writes Columbatto.

At the same time, the expert believes, the general dissatisfaction with the West and the desire to maintain business relations with China or Russia does not mean that the members of the organization form a homogeneous group with the entire scope of common interests.

"The SCO summit could provide an opportunity to unveil global initiatives developed by China and By Russia and prepared by the SCO secretariat. This would greatly improve the organization. However, the lack of long-term common interests remains an insurmountable obstacle. Anti—Americanism is enough to rally the members of the organization, but in itself it does not give them direction," says Professor Colombatto.

EADaily reminds that today, on July 3, the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization began its work in Astana. The summit will be attended by the heads of state and Government of 16 countries. Vladimir Putin arrived in the Kazakh capital this morning. It is expected that Belarus will receive the status of a full member this year.