摘要
The New Silk Roads between Asia’s largest economies and regions,like the Persian Gulf,which has until now been militarily dominated by the US,have been accompanied by the consolidation of supranational entities like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization(SCO).With members including China,Russia,India,and Pakistan,some Gulf States are now also interested in membership.This article raises the question of whether the SCO,in light of its members’growing relevance to the Gulf region,carries the strategic potential to replace the American stability-andcommerce-enabling security umbrella there.The answers demonstrate that intra-Asian cooperation in the Gulf is to an extent hostage to a greater intra-Asian rivalry which would likely be perpetuated by the power vacuum following a possible US withdrawal.The SCO’s greatest strategic value for Gulf politics lies in its mediation potential.This stands a higher chance of success if the US military remains present and fosters a spirit of cooperation between itself and the SCO in the Gulf.
