Karl Richer looks beyond Western saber-rattling to the overlooked summit in Bishkek, where the emerging powers of Eurasia showed that they no longer need the West.
Here is a question: where is Bishkek? The question alone says much about the standards and horizons of Germany’s quality journalism. These days, it has little to offer beyond Putin-bashing and hysterical hatred of the AfD. Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, does not appear on its radar.
That is a mistake. Last week, overshadowed by more sensational headlines, Bishkek sent a signal that may prove far more important to the world of the twenty-first century than the Merz government’s saber-rattling or Trump’s bullying. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held its two-day summit there, coinciding with the organization’s twenty-fifth anniversary. That is reason enough to take a closer look.
