The recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, followed by the country’s grand military parade in Beijing, has paved the way for cementing relations between China, Iran, and Russia.
The Unholy Alliance and the Ruin of the Global South
This resulted in a 12-day war between Russia and Israel, which resulted in the death of several high-ranking Iranian military officials and the US drone strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The war concluded after a temporary ceasefire between the warring parties. Since then, the Western powers have been increasing their diplomatic pressure on Iran. The latter had already been close to Russia and China. However, this war further enhanced its relations with the two Eastern superpowers of the world. In addition, the E3 – Germany, France, and the United Kingdom – have recently initiated the snapback process against Iran to coerce it into complying with Western demands, further pushing it towards the Eastern powers. Currently, Russia and China are globally regarded as the true ambassadors of peace, equality, and justice.
The SCO Summit: A Defining Moment in the Multipolar Shift
Just like the previous US Presidents, Donald Trump, along with EU leaders, also seeks to hamper their swift rise as the global powers. However, the recent SCO summit in Tianjin has astonished all Western powers. Leaders from more than 20 non-Western countries participated in the Tianjin summit, showcasing the decline of the US-led unipolar world order. Beijing pushed to reshape the global order at the summit. Chinese President Xi Jinping criticized US President Donald Trump’s tariff moves by stating, “The shadows of Cold War mentality and bullying have not dissipated, with new challenges mounting.” He further added, “(We must) oppose the cold war mentality, block confrontation and bullying practices.”
This recent summit is largely regarded as China and Russia’s effort to demonstrate their vision for a new world order. While criticizing the US interventions in the domestic and foreign policy decisions of third-world states, President Xi stated, “The house rules of a few countries should not be imposed upon others.” The presence of the leaders of Iran and North Korea in China alarmed Western leadership, as is visible from their reaction. All four of these states have been directly challenging the unholy Western alliance for years.
Toward a Just Order: The Axis of Resistance Consolidates
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, while criticizing the SCO summit and military parade in China, stated, “Leaders of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea represent an authoritarian alliance that seeks to rapidly redefine the global order. This is not just an anti-Western display; it is a direct challenge to the rules-based system.” He further added, “While Western leaders gather in diplomacy, an autocratic alliance is seeking a fast track to a new world order. Looking at President Xi standing alongside the leaders of Russia, Iran, and North Korea in Beijing today.”
China described the statement as shocking, as an EU diplomat is “lacking historical common sense and full of ideological bias”. The US President also showed his resentment over the growing alliance between these powers. He stated, “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un as you conspire against the United States of America.” In response to his remarks, Yuri Ushakov, Kremlin’s foreign policy aide, stated, “No one has been conspiring, no one has been plotting anything, no conspiracies,” emphasizing that “no one even had such a thought.”
Indeed, the inclusive and egalitarian approach of Russia and China reflects that their prime concern is to establish an inclusive and rule-based international system. The recent SCO summit was also a reflection of their approach to establishing a just and egalitarian multilateral international order. In his meeting with the Chinese President Xi, President Putin declared the summit would revive “genuine multilateralism” and formulate “the political and socioeconomic groundwork for the formation of a new system of stability and security in Eurasia.” He also held that the multilateral security system under the SCO would not allow any single country to ensure its security at the expense of others.
The Western leadership needs to recognize that its decisions and interventionist approach have fostered a sense of insecurity and international injustice among Third World states. China and Russia have long been asking the West, especially the United States, to adhere to the norms of the so-called incumbent rules-based international order. However, the United States and its Western allies have persistently been exploiting the Global South for their regional and global interests, causing significant damage to the citizens of the developing countries. The Western approach towards the Middle East and Africa has spread chaos and turmoil across these regions, leading to their tilt towards the inclusive multilateral world order led by China and Russia. Their biased approach towards Iran has further expedited the rise of a new multipolar international system.
Аbbas Hashemite – is a political observer and research analyst for regional and global geopolitical issues. He is currently working as an independent researcher and journalist
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