Towards a Silk Road Union?

What is it about?

1. During his speech in Astana on 7 September 2013 and a few days later at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Bishkek on 13 September 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward an initiative foreseeing the establishment of Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) and, for that purpose, called for strengthening the cooperation between the SCO and the Eurasian Alliance. 2. As clearly seen, the SREB has two major dimensions: “the Road” and “the Belt” and, accordingly, pursues the following two main objectives. First, it aims to revive the Silk Road, the ancient trade route linking the East and the West. Second, it aspires to create an “Economic Belt”, i.e. an association of countries along the Silk Road (or, in other words, a Silk Road Union). 3. It is not incidental that the Chinese leader launched his initiative in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Both countries are enthusiastic supporters of Chinese economic programs and are situated in the heart of Eurasia, a region encompassing a number of the former Soviet republics and conceivably offering the shortest route from China to Europe. Moreover, both Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are active members of both the SCO and the Eurasian Alliance, two potential pillars of a future transcontinental association. 4. The aim of this article is to examine the background and major areas of cooperation of the SCO and to provide an answer to whether the SCO can establish a meaningful partnership with the Eurasian Alliance and thus establish a foundation for the Silk Road Union.

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