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International Area Studies Review
[ Article ]
International Area Studies Review - Vol. 29, No. 1, pp.1-17
ISSN: 2233-8659 (Print)
Print publication date 31 Mar 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.69473/iasr.2026.29.1.1

The Mackinder Image Revised? The Development of Shanghai Cooperation Organization under the Geopolitical Perspective

Tung-Chieh Tsai* ; Wei-Shan Kuo
Distinguished Professor, Graduate Institute of International Politics, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
Ph.D. Candidate, Graduate Institute of International Politics, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan

Correspondence to: *Email: tctasi@dragon.nchu.edu.tw

Abstract

Since its establishment in 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has been neglected by mainstream Western countries. This disregard stems from its initial leadership by China and Russia as a regional regime focused on specific functional goals such as combating terrorism and maintaining stability among members. However, recent shifts in international and regional dynamics, particularly following the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, have created a potential opportunity for China and Russia to fill the power vacuum in inner Eurasia. Consequently, the SCO has begun to assert itself more prominently on global issues. The accession of new members since 2017 enhanced the SCO’s stature as a counter force against the traditional Western blocs. Furthermore, the China rise in recent years not only suggests a potential scenario of “The East is Rising, The West is Declining,” but the China-Russia the quasi-coalition seems to call back the idea by Halford Mackinder who imaged the power who control the heart-land will grab the world finally. This paper will check the current situation by focusing on SCO development, and try to observe how it would influence the US-China competition and global geopolitics.

Keywords:

Halford mackinder, SCO, Geopolitics, US, Russia, China

AI Acknowledgment

Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies were not used in any way to prepare, write, or complete essential authoring tasks in this manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest in this research.

Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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