In his inaugural speech, President Barack Obama asserted that the United States remains “the most prosperous, powerful nation on earth.” No matter how powerful a nation is, however, its priorities still need to be rearranged and sometimes compromised, especially when dealing with key allies and partners. This much was evident by U.S. Secretary of State […]
The SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) has grown in prominence during the past several years as a regional counterweight to NATO. Comprised of China, Russia, and 4 of the “Stans” (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan), the SCO was formed in 1996 with the signing of the Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border Regions. The organization […]
On Tuesday, Russian and Chinese leaders signed a massive $25 billion energy deal. The agreement sees Russia providing energy-hungry China with secure oil supplies (300,000 barrels per day) for the next 20 years. In return, China will provide Russia with advantageous loans with $15 billion to Rosneft (the state-owned oil company) and $10 billion to […]
Last week, I spoke in front of the San Diego World Affairs Council North Chapter (an affiliate of FPA) about the rising objectives and capabilities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Here is my presentation in slides (go to the bottom of the page). I though some you might be interested in some of the articles […]