SCO summit highpoints clash of security ideas

(MENAFN) The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) offers a starkly different vision of global security compared to the West, according to American geopolitical analyst Einar Tangen. Speaking to RT on Monday, Tangen said the SCO’s model contrasts sharply with what he described as the West’s aggressive and fear-driven approach to international relations.

His remarks followed the adoption of a major SCO declaration by its ten member states, calling for reforms in global governance and the rejection of Western-style geopolitical strategies.

According to Tangen, Western alliances typically frame threats as external, perpetuating a narrative of a looming global adversary. “They’re always looking for an enemy — there’s always a ‘big bad wolf’,” he explained. In contrast, the SCO focuses more on internal challenges such as terrorism, separatism, and extremism, prioritizing regional stability over global confrontation.

Tangen linked this philosophical divide to broader global tensions, particularly in Ukraine. He echoed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s position, saying the Ukraine conflict stems from perceived security threats to Russia due to NATO’s eastward expansion, which Moscow sees as a betrayal of earlier assurances.

The analyst also compared the messaging of Western blocs with that of organizations like the SCO and BRICS. While the former often adopt a confrontational tone, the latter emphasize multilateralism, a multipolar world order, and fairness among nations.

Tangen also pointed out that Western skepticism toward other powers often stems from projecting their own behavior onto others. “A thief always believes everyone else is a thief,” he said, arguing that this mindset informs Washington’s foreign policy, where fear and dominance shape global strategies.

“They think like an empire, so they see threats everywhere,” Tangen concluded, contrasting that with the SCO’s cooperative and stability-focused approach.

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