Sino-Russian cooperation is a marriage of convenience, one that masks the serious disagreements which would come to light should geopolitical circumstances change.

Whether a question of imperial relapse or simple economics, Moscow has long been trying to consolidate its influence in Central Asia through the Eurasian Economic Union. But some key regional governments are still not convinced.

The latest meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization wrapped up in Tajikistan with pledges of deeper economic cooperation and new member-states in the years to come.

President Nazarbayev hoped that by bringing Russia closer as an economic partner, he would successfully snuff out any desire from Moscow to re-annex Kazakhstan as reclaimed Russian territory. It appears he may have been wrong.

The recent outburst of ethnic violence in Kyrgyzstan will serve to strengthen Russian influence in the region.

Last week’s BRIC countries summit in Brasilia witnessed the beginning of what will surely become a trend over the next few decades: BRIC coordination against the United States on important issues in international society.

Recent events in Kyrgyzstan have once again shone a spotlight on the politically fragile, though geopolitically crucial region of Central Asia.

As delegations from Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states prepare to descend on the Russian city of Yekaterinburg next month, we can expect a spike in media pieces that paint the organization as a nascent ‘anti-NATO’. These media representations overlook a glaring fact: it isn’t in the SCO’s aims or means to become a new Warsaw Pact.