Finnish President Alexander Stubb warned Western nations that they risk “losing the game” to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) unless they rethink their strategy toward the Global South. His remarks came after the recent SCO summit in Tianjin, which highlighted the unity of members such as China, Russia and India.
Speaking in Helsinki alongside Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Stubb called on Western European partners and the United States to adopt a more cohesive and dignified foreign policy, especially regarding countries like India. He noted that the United States had recently imposed extensive tariffs on India, a move he believes could damage Western ties with the Global South. Stubb sees the SCO’s push for a multipolar world order as an attempt to erode Western unity, citing the ongoing Ukraine conflict that began in 2022 and the resulting “jostling of power and the weakening of multilateral institutions, rules and norms.”
Russia and China argue that institutions such as the IMF, WTO and World Bank have been used by the West to exert control. The SCO summit, attended by 18 countries, aimed to promote a multipolar order in which all players are treated equally. Stubb disagreed, insisting that multilateralism remains the best way to advance cooperation. He warned that without a more cooperative and respectful foreign policy toward the Global South and India, the West could lose influence.
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged SCO members to oppose “hegemonism and power politics” and to work toward a fairer international system based on mutual trust, benefit, equality and consultation. Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated calls for a multipolar world, emphasizing that the SCO seeks a more just global governance structure rather than targeting any third country.
Stubb’s comments underscore the widening divide between the West and SCO member states. As the global landscape shifts, the West’s approach to the Global South will be crucial in determining its regional influence. The SCO’s growing prominence and the West’s response will be closely watched in the coming months as the world navigates an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.
Comments are closed for this story.