China's SCO leadership is being tested by regional conflicts
Hao Nan is a research fellow with the Charhar Institute and a Nuclear Futures fellow (2025-2026) with the Ploughshares Fund & Horizon 2045.
On May 7, 2025, India launched missile strikes against Pakistan under the codename "Operation Sindoor," targeting alleged terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Barely a month later, on June 13, Israel conducted unprecedented air strikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, prompting a severe regional crisis. Both events unfolded under the watch of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), raising pressing questions about the organization's effectiveness as a regional security platform, especially as China assumes the rotating chairmanship in a year marked by turmoil.
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