This book comprehensively examines the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation, the regional organisation consisting of China, Russia and most of the Central Asian countries. It charts the Organisation's development and considers the foreign policy of China and the other member states, showing how the interests and power of the member states determine the Organisation's institutions, development and relations with non-members. It explores the Organisation's politics, economics, culture and education, and discusses the Organisation's likely future development. Throughout, the book sets the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation in the context of China's overall strategy towards Central Asia.

Weiqing Song is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Macau, China.

Introduction: The Silk Road Rediscovered

1. Anatomy of China's Neighborhood Policy

2. China's International Leadership in the SCO

3. Institutionalisation of the SCO

4. International politics of the SCO

5. Political and Security cooperation

6. Economic and Functional Cooperation

7. Cultural and Educational Cooperation

Conclusion: The Road Ahead