China’s Outlook on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
[Editor’s Note: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) had its 12th Summit in Beijing from June 6 to 7, 2012. Chinese media praised the event highly as a milestone for SCO, marking the transition into its second decade. In China’s view, the SCO model, or “Shanghai Spirit,” is China’s way of dealing with international organizations. It differs from the U.S. model in that China focuses more on political results. It fosters political unity by offering economic help to other countries. China contributes more monetarily to SCO but offers each member country the same share of voting power. China also leverages its huge economic engine to promote joint regional economic development. The economic carrots that China has offered have served to keep the SCO united and have played a more and more important role in regional and international affairs. The following are excerpts from three articles that Outlook Weekly published to commemorate the SCO.]