The Balance of Economic Interests of Russia and China within the Framework of the SCO

As the locomotives of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and promising economic partners, China and Russia have formed strategic conceptual frameworks within the organization, which reflects not only their fundamental national interests, but also new challenges and opportunities in the region. The success of the SCO largely depends on the balance of interests and strategies of Russia and China, therefore they are of great research interest. However, Russian–Chinese strategic partnership requires a comprehensive analysis in rapidly changing realities, thus we extend this stream of research by adding contemporary challenges and prospects into the picture. The purpose of this study is to analyze the balance of economic interests of Russia and China within the framework of the SCO in the XXI century. Based on data collected from scientific studies, statements of Russian and Chinese officials and documents of the SCO, a comparative analysis of the economic interests of the SCO’s leading countries will be carried out. Our preliminary results show that interests and goals of China and Russia within the SCO have more similarities than differences and the SCO appears to be an effective platform for strategic cooperation between countries.