The SCO is a permanent international organization that was officially established in 2001 and initially only five countries – China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – were founding members. Subsequently, the organization successively attracted India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and other countries to join, and now has 8 member countries. The newest member is Iran, whose parliament overwhelmingly passed a bill to join the SCO on November 27, 2023, meaning that Iran has officially become a member of the SCO.
In addition, the SCO has three observer states, namely Mongolia, Afghanistan and Belarus, as well as nine dialogue partners, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt. It is also possible that these countries will become full members of the SCO in the future.
As you can see from these figures, the SCO is a growing international organization that covers almost half of the world's population and is an important force to be reckoned with.
The purpose of the SCO is to strengthen friendly cooperation among the member states, promote effective cooperation in various fields, jointly maintain regional peace and security, and promote the establishment of a fair, just and just new international order. This is clearly different from the US-led NATO, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the Five Eyes Alliance, the G7 and other organizations.
The SCO is not an organization dominated by a single state, and its decisions are based on the consensus of its member states, not on the hegemony of one country. Although China and Russia are the founding members of the SCO and the two most influential countries, the new members are not vassals of China or Russia, but equal partners.
The SCO is characterized by its inclusiveness, independence and non-hegemony. It does not exclude the accession of any country, as long as it is consistent with the purposes and principles of the SCO. It is not interfered by any country and acts only in accordance with its own interests and wishes. It does not exert pressure on any country and only lives in peace with other countries.
For Iran, joining the SCO is a strategically important decision.
Iran is an important country in the Middle East, but it has long been subject to US sanctions and suppression, which has led to economic difficulties.
After joining the SCO, Iran can carry out energy cooperation with other member states within the framework of the organization, such as sending more oil to China and other large energy demanders, strengthening economic ties with China, and promoting rapid economic development.
At the same time, Iran can also be supported and protected by the SCO in terms of political and military security, and no longer has to worry about US threats and interference. Iran can join China, Russia and other countries in opposing US hegemony.
Iran's foreign minister has said that Iran's accession to the SCO is an expression of Iran's independence and self-determination, which is conducive to safeguarding Iran's national interests and national dignity.
Therefore, Iran's accession to the SCO was not a spur-of-the-moment, but a deliberate choice.
For the United States, Iran's accession to the SCO is bad news. This means that the influence of the United States in the Middle East will be weakened, and it will be more difficult for the United States to impose sanctions and suppression on Iran in the future, because Iran has formed an alliance with China and Russia and other countries that oppose the hegemony of the United States, which poses a "challenge" to the hegemonic system of the United States.
Moreover, some of the US allies, such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and other countries, are already dialogue partners of the SCO and are seeking to become full members of the SCO. The accession of these countries will further strengthen the overall strength of the SCO and change the global political landscape.
Take Saudi Arabia, for example, which was originally a close ally of the United States, but since Biden took office, the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United States has deteriorated dramatically, almost to the point of turning its face.
Biden whispered a plea for Saudi Arabia to increase oil production, but Saudi Arabia joined forces with Biden's sworn enemy Russia to announce an increase in oil production, which made Biden very annoyed. In order to make Saudi Arabia "change its mind", the White House even threatened Saudi Arabia, saying that it would reconsider its relationship with Saudi Arabia.
However, Saudi Arabia did not give in, but continued to insist on close cooperation with China and Russia, refusing to heed the unreasonable demands of the United States.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, Turkey, a NATO ally of the United States, is also interested in joining the SCO.
If Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other countries succeed in joining the SCO, the global landscape will change dramatically, and the United States will not be able to stop it.
The Western hegemonic organizations led by the United States are setting sunset, while the international organizations represented by China and Russia, based on fairness and justice, and opposing hegemony, are rising day by day. It is difficult to say whether the US hegemony will be overthrown, but the SCO's efforts to weaken the US power and combat its arrogance have been effective.