Chinese Scholar Maps Beijing’s Strategic Vision for SCO and BRICS as Pillars of Asian Stability

A new APLN report by Dr Tianjiao Jiang of Fudan University examines how China uses the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS to advance a security model integrating development and regional stability in a fragmenting international order. 

Seoul, 15 July, 2026 

As Washington doubles down on “America First” unilateralism, Beijing is quietly building an alternative architecture for the global order, with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICS as its two central pillars. That is the argument of a new report for the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network (APLN) by Dr Tianjiao Jiang, Associate Professor and Deputy Director of the Center for BRICS Studies at Fudan University.

Dr Jiang contends that China treats development and security as “two sides of the same coin,” and is operationalising its Global Security Initiative through two distinct but complementary platforms:

• The SCO as a regional stabiliser: China frames the SCO as “partnership, not alliance; dialogue, not confrontation,” emphasising consensus-based governance, counter-terrorism cooperation, and security models outside traditional military alliances. The SCO also plays a mediating role in managing India-Pakistan tensions and preventing spillover from the Afghanistan conflict.
• BRICS as a structural stabiliser: BRICS anchors the economic realm, with the New Development Bank and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement serving as institutional tools for building a financial safety net for developing countries, framed as complements to, rather than replacements for, the Bretton Woods system.

The report traces the evolution of China’s security concept since 1949 and examines a notable shift in global roles: as the United States pursues interest-centred unilateralism, emerging powers represented by China are increasingly defending multilateralism and promoting incremental reforms to global governance.

Key findings on the future trajectory:

• The SCO is expected to transition from a security-focused platform into a comprehensive governance framework, incorporating new domains such as cybersecurity and data security alongside stronger economic cooperation.
• BRICS is projected to evolve into a coordination hub for the Global South, with deeper financial cooperation, increased local currency settlement, and expanded engagement in non-traditional security areas.
• China advocates for clearer enlargement criteria, formal exit mechanisms for both organisations, and expanded “minilateral” cooperation platforms within each framework.
• The report highlights the need for BRICS and the SCO to engage in strategic communication with the United States, noting that continued expansion of these institutions is likely to raise concerns within US strategic circles.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tianjiao Jiang, Associate Professor at the Development Institute of Fudan University. He also serves as deputy director of Center for BRICS Studies and research fellow of Center for Global AI Innovative Governance at Fudan. His research focuses on emerging technologies, international security and BRICS cooperation.

NOTE TO EDITORS:
This press release summarises the key aspects of the report. Word-for-word quotations should be checked against the final published version on the APLN website here.

The author is available for further comments. For questions or press inquiries, please contact:
Tanvi Kulkarni, APLN Senior Policy Fellow
Email: kulkarnit@apln.network
Phone/WhatsApp: +91 8750 223 073

Fang Liu, APLN Policy Fellow
Email: liuf@apln.network
Phone/WhatsApp:  +82 10 4639 3678

Frank O’Donnell, APLN Senior Research Adviser
Email: odonnell@apln.network
Phone/WhatsApp: (+1) 617-775-5844

About the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network  
The Asia-Pacific Leadership Network (APLN) is a network of political, military and diplomatic leaders from 24 countries across the Asia-Pacific tackling security and defence challenges with a particular focus on addressing and eliminating nuclear weapons risks.