China summit a symbol of a world aiming to ‘make itself America-proof’, expert says • FRANCE 24

China summit a symbol of a world aiming to ‘make itself America-proof’, expert says • FRANCE 24

is apppropo. Chinese and Russian presidents have been taking turns swiping at the west during a gathering of Eurasian leaders at a showpiece summit aimed at putting Beijing front and center of regional relations. Hosting more than 20 leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s annual summit. Xiinping hid out at bullying behavior from certain countries availed reference to the United States while Vladimir Putin blamed the West for the war in Ukraine. Kami Knight has more. Holding hands, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and India’s Narendra Modi head straight for their host, Chinese President Xi Jinping. They form a huddle with their translators and exchange a few words, even a few laughs. For Shei, the optics are ideal as he seeks to assert himself as a world leader they can count on. In his opening speech at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, he told members that global governance had reached a new crossroads, taking not so subtle jabs at the United States. We should uphold fairness and justice. We must promote a correct historical perspective on World War II and oppose the Cold War mentality. We should block confrontation and bullying practices. When Donald Trump upended the global trading system, he provided fertile ground for President Xi to rally partners from around the world. This summit is one example, aiming to strengthen ties between more than 20 countries from across Asia and the Middle East through cooperation on issues ranging from AI infrastructure or the creation of an SEO development bank. Modi would have once been much more cautious about showing public displays of affection for Putin and she as he tried to cultivate India’s relationship with the US. But with Delhi currently facing a 50% levy on its exports, analysts say Modi has been pushed into the arms of his Chinese counterpart, even despite years of tensions over a border dispute. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization can become the guiding light for multilateralism and an inclusive world order. Meanwhile, she is gearing up for his next major event, a military parade in Beijing, attended by leaders of Russia, North Korea, and Iran to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War. [Music] For more, let’s bring in Robert Manning, distinguished fellow at the global foresight hub and China program at the Stimson Center. Robert, thanks for being with us on the program this evening. Firstly, aside from the speeches, the set pieces, the discussions that will be taking place on the sidelines, just how much of this summit is aimed at rattling those looking on from Washington and other Western capitals? Well, it seems that the Donald Trump is the gift that keeps on giving to Xiinping. And I think uh what we’re seeing the Shankai Cooperation Organization really has been mainly a talk shop, but it’s become symbolic of of a world that sort of seems to be trying to make itself America proof both in terms of new trade arrangements, new security arrangements and uh it’s it’s it’s a wonderful vehicle for she to uh mobilize agrievement against the United States power and that’s He’s been this has been very successful for him. Uh how far it goes, I don’t think there’s a viable alternative. I think uh uh Donald Trump’s uh vendetta against Modi and India is really uh shifting the geopolitics in in a way that the US um will not benefit from. And in terms of the two men that we’ve been talking so much about today, Vladimir Putin given the appearance really of being the Chinese president’s right-hand man, judging even from the position that he’s standing in in the photographs. But what do we actually know about the relationship? Well, it’s a very personal relationship. Uh, and I I think that they’ve met dozens and dozens of times. Uh, China as you know has been uh pretending to be neutral but has been very important to support enabler of Putin in in the Ukraine war. And I think what brings them together is more uh opposition to the US dominated world order than than anything else. Uh I I think that also that uh you know Chinese are not happy with with the the Ukraine war. They don’t they haven’t completely supported Putin. They never recognized for example the annexation of Crimea and uh I I don’t know if they would accept Putin’s goals for the DMBOS and either but they have been very important to his success and it’s become a symbol of shifting politics and an increasingly multipolar world. Uh although it’s it it’s it seems to me that it’s it’s not very functional. they don’t have all alternative. Uh and Trump’s Trump’s uh tariff regime is really testing the idea of how multipolar the world is. But I I think it’s an important statement. You have countries like Turkey, India and others who are not necessarily big fans of China. Uh and of course China has its own economic coercion. It’s it’s uh manu it’s overmanufacturing is causing factories all over Southeast Asia and elsewhere uh to close and they’re running a permanent surplus and the cost to the rest of Asia is running a permanent deficit. So I I think there’s less than meets the eye. I think if you look at the alternatives that Xiinping is talking about his his new global security initiative, there really is not much there other than let’s be nice to each other. And so I don’t know how far this goes in terms of uh fashioning an alternative but I think they’re as I say I think and it’s not just this SEO it’s much of the world is trying to figure out how to immunize themselves against against America. So it’s also then really about sending a message to Washington amid those ongoing trade negotiations with Beijing as much as anything else. Do you think Robert? Oh, ab absolutely. I think uh Trump the Trump administration has underestimated China. Uh the monopoly they have on critical minerals particularly Magnus um gives them escalation dominance in the trade war. And I think that’s why you have more tariffs on India now than than China. Trump has been very cautious and backed off when when the Chinese stop the flow of of critical minerals. So, uh I I do think Trump wants a deal with China and I think they will probably meet in the fall and work out some some arrangements. Uh but I I think that the whole relationship is is is filled with deep distrust on both sides and there are a lot of vulnerabilities that uh could lead to conflict. And looking ahead to to the military parade that we’re going to see in China on Wednesday, it’s being held to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War. What do you think that’s going to say or what is China hoping it will say about the current world order and the forces it sees reshaping it? Well, they’re trying to project Chinese power. Uh I I think it’s um unfortunate that he’s trying to rewrite World War II history and down and downplay the US role in in uh in in victory uh against fascism. But uh I I I think it’s it’s sending a message and I I note that Prime Minister Modi did not attend the military parade because those Chinese weapons are being sold to Pakistan which is attacking India. So it it’s a it’s a little more complex. These in their interests overlap in terms of uh their posture on the world order and and the inequality of it. But their their national interests are clashing at several different levels whether it’s India and China and even to some extent Russia and China over the long term. But will China be optimistic? Do you think that it can smooth over some of those disagreements that it’s had with India, also with Iran? And how much of a rival really is China when it comes to its interactions with India? Well, it’s an interesting question whether this is a tactical ruproant or whether it’s a tactical stabilization or really a raproant. There are still many differences whether it’s Tibet, Taiwan, uh India’s economic relationship with China. There are a lot of issues and and India has a for example in the bricks has really uh blocked a lot of Chinese moves uh in India and Brazil both and so I think I think we have to wait and see but I think this is a product of India really has no choice for Trump in a matter of weeks has undone 25 years of American diplomacy to build a relationship with India and I Modi is making his statement about what the consequences of that are. Okay, Robert, we leave it there for now. Thanks so much for being with us though in the program this evening. That is Robert Manning, distinguished fellow at the global foreset hub and China program at the Stimson Center.

Speaking with FRANCE 24’s Sharon Gaffney, Robert Manning, Distinguished Fellow at the Strategic Foresight Hub and China Program at the Stimson Centre, says that this year’s summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has become symbolic of a world that aims to “make itself America-proof, both in terms of new trade arrangements and new security arrangements”.
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