Selim Ibraimi- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit was set to begin last week. Before this, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Bin spoke at a press conference. He said that the summit would be one of the most important diplomatic events of the year. That prediction came true. China, Russia, and India, together with the organization’s member states, demonstrated their strength to the West.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit ended up satisfying Russia and China, while angering the US even more. In reality, the scenes from Beijing horrified the West. Within a short time, US President Donald Trump launched harsh accusations against China, Russia, and North Korea.
Fears of a new world order emerging are fueled by US apprehension. They worry about the departure of the liberal order. This fear stems from the possibility of the US dollar depreciating. The concern is particularly strong due to much of the Asian world and beyond. Regarding the Chinese military parade, President Trump said: “Please give my warmest regards to Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un. You conspire against the United States.” Trump accused Chinese President Xi Jinping of “conspiring against” the United States, and criticized India, Russia, etc.
The military parade marked the 80th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II by Allied forces. It was another reason for US President Trump to publicly express his anger at China. The United States helped China fight the Japanese. “I wish President Xi and the wonderful people of China a great day of celebration,” President Trump wrote.
The event passed almost without reaction from the EU. Weeks earlier, at the summit between China and the EU, both sides had agreed to closer cooperation in many areas. Despite solid relations, EU countries perceive the summit and military parade as a strategic move. They see it as China’s push for a multipolar world order. On September 10, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen will deliver a State of the Union address. She will outline the EU’s vision for a stronger, more competitive, and more secure future. “For a secure Europe with €800 billion by 2030 for EU security and defense.”
University of Chicago professor Dali Yang said the SCO is a prominent regional organization. It is one of the most significant entities that China has co-founded. “China’s leadership is committed to maintaining existing relations in the international arena. However, the SCO has not been effective in addressing key challenges,” Yang said. China’s military arsenal was previously unknown. According to other analysts, China is working hard. They aim to create an advantage over the US in the Pacific. On the other side of the world, the EU addressed two decades of Chinese influence in the EU. It also focused on the Balkans. It has increased funding through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). This was done to counter the influence of the SCO. It has allocated 6 billion euros to integrate the countries of the region into the EU. The EU has pledged to finance the Belgrade-Nis high-speed railway, to compete with Chinese investments in infrastructure.
The EU’s “Global Gateway” initiative launched in 2021. It aims to provide sustainable solutions to China’s global “One Belt, One Road” (BRI) project. Serbia is a key beneficiary of Chinese policies. Serbia follows a multi-vector foreign policy. It uses ties with China and Russia to counterbalance Western influence. This approach has raised concerns in the EU and the US. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s participation in the summit in China is indicative of its rapprochement with non-Western powers. Serbia’s growing economic and security ties with China are a nightmare for the West. Investments are up to 4 billion euros. The purchase of Chinese military equipment also contributes to Western concerns. According to Trading Economics, in 2023, China-Serbia trade will reach $6.1 billion, with Serbia’s exports to China reaching $1.24 billion.
The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) entered into force on July 1, 2024. It eliminates tariffs on 95 percent of Serbian exports and 8,930 Chinese products. This change is expected to further boost trade between the two countries. According to the report, in the first two months of 2024, trade reached $931.3 million, 1.3 percent more than a year earlier. Serbia’s main exports to China include ore and ash ($842.59 million), copper ($301.04 million), wood ($36.28 million), electronic equipment ($19.76 million), and machinery ($17.24 million).
The Serbian government has announced that from 2014 to 2023, China has invested approximately $5.5 billion in Serbia, making it one of Serbia’s top 10 investors. China’s history and global reach are impressive. It is well known that China has existed for more than two thousand years. It has experienced many ups and downs. Dynasties Several dynasties played a major role in China’s strengthening. The Han, Tang, and Qing Dynasties, in particular, left their mark on today’s Chinese development. Chinese dominance is evident in the current international political-economic system. We can see the decline of Western power. In comparative analysis, similar signs of decline are found in the former European colonial powers.
The United States is now facing similar challenges with tariffs on a global scale. More than a century ago, in the early 1900s, the United Kingdom experienced adverse reactions to tariff policies. This shows that former great powers have gone through the same cycle. These cycles had different effects on domestic and global affairs. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization was founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In recent years, the organization has expanded to include other countries from the Asian region. The parade in China demonstrated the power of alliances. It also previewed the future of armies. Newsweek, an American magazine, reported that the US is planning to reduce security in Europe. This decision leaves a huge vacuum for greater Chinese influence.
There have been many international developments in favor of the West. In Washington, President Trump has changed the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War by order. The international uncertainty for the US continues. China has a GDP of over 19 trillion dollars. It ranks second after the US. China is expected to surpass it. However, despite all its global ambitions, domestic and other international factors can change the direction of the country. In general, China, together with organizations such as the SCO, remain a major challenge for the West.
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2025-09-07