Chinese Regionalism: Balancing and Constraint in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

[Extract] China's policy to employ regionalism within its foreign policy is the subject of this chapter. The numerous assertions of regionalism as a strategic priority are clear and yet the ability to gain outcomes is not. The most recent 'one belt, one road' initiative and grander ideas such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank are at their beginning. the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is older and has weathered a major test of unity. China's challenge is to maintain good relations with an increasingly assertive Russia whilst endorsing Principles of Peaceful Coexistence under the umbrella of its SCO regionalism. This chapter explores China's regionalism since 2008 and discusses the noticeable lack of support for Russia's military actions as well as recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia during the 2008 Russia-Georgia War. Such an enquiry allows an understanding of how effective China's regionalism is and what challenges complicate this strategic priority.