Xi is in Bishkek for SCO summit. How does bloc fit China’s Eurasian strategy 25 years on?

As Washington’s strategic focus shifts and energy and grain supply disruptions continue to unsettle the Middle East, Beijing’s expanding presence across Central Asia is expected to be in focus as Kyrgyzstan hosts the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit this week.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s presence in Bishkek is expected to put the spotlight on whether the increasingly diverse grouping can move beyond diplomatic signalling, according to analysts. The SCO’s 25th anniversary summit was also expected to offer crucial clues to Beijing’s ambitions for a more multipolar Eurasia at a time of shifting regional power dynamics, they said.

The meetings over Monday and Tuesday are themed as “25 years of the SCO: together for sustainable peace, development and prosperity”. They are expected to focus on regional security, connectivity, energy and digital cooperation, while also addressing wider challenges including Iran, Afghanistan and food security.

China-Central Asia goods trade hit a record US$106 billion last year, according to Chinese government data, making Beijing the largest trading partner of the five countries combined for the first time.

Li Lifan, an expert on Russia and Central Asia at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said the SCO and Central Asia held special significance for Beijing.

“As global competition intensifies between the US-led West and the emerging Global South amid a fractured international order, Beijing has placed greater weight on the SCO and Central Asia as a whole,” Li said, adding that “by deepening engagement and aligning more closely with Central Asian partners, China seeks to build common ground and present a more united front”.

“Through the SCO, China can project power and influence aspects of the global order,” he said, noting that the group’s expansion showcased China’s diplomatic appeal and influence.