Balance of Powers and SCO

The summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan of the SCO on August 16, 2007 has been noted with much attention in the world. Washington is quite alarmed with prospects of the SCO turning into a military block to counter the NATO. The invitees to the summit, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan expressed their concerns with the 'war on terror' and the Missile Defense Shield plans of the US. The Bishkek declaration stressed certain points that directly reflect on the dissatisfaction with the US unilateral politics (here):

Modern challenges and threats can be effectively counteracted through concerted efforts of the international community on the basis of agreed principles and in the framework of multilateral mechanisms. Unilateral action cannot resolve the existing problems...
Cooperation in counteracting new challenges and threats must be conducted in a consistent manner, without resorting to double standards, in strict observance of norms of the international law...
The SCO member states advocate creation of a security structure on the basis of generally accepted norms of the international law that will:
- reflect the balance of interests of all subjects of international relations...
The SCO member states are determined to interact closely on tackling the issues of the UN reform. The reform of the pan global organisation, first and foremost its Security Council, must gain as much wider consensus of its members....

The Bishkek declaration speaks of UN reform, specifically the Security Council, propagates creation of a security system to counteract terrorism and promote vital interests of the parties, and rejects unilateralism. While Washington can understandably be concerned with some of this, this is perhaps creation of the balance of powers missing in the international arena since the end of the Cold War. The balance of powers can stabilize the world without going back to the era of the Cold War... The Defense shield plans of the US could in fact result in much destabilization because it would undercut deterrence. On the other hand, if the extremist Islamic states such as Iran, obtain nuclear weapons, it is quite possible that deterrence would not work, because the prerequisite to deterrence is nuclear weapons in the hands of 'rational actors'. Well, these types of summits show how much work needs to be done by the US to regain and strengthen its leadership-- only at this time, as a team member with the rest... Unfortunately, the ambitions of the SCO members may go too far ahead blocking the US from any efforts to play as a 'team member.'