Russia seeks China's support over role in Georgia conflict

RUSSIA was today expected to ask China and other members of an Asian security group to sign a declaration of support for Russia's role in the conflict in Georgia.

The plea at the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation summit in Tajikistan may raise fears in Western capitals of the emergence of a competing alliance to Nato forming around Russia.

The SCO members, however, were expected to stop short of endorsing Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's recognition of the independence claims of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Medvedev and other leaders of SCO member states – China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – held an unofficial joint meeting yesterday.

It's not clear how successful Russia's bid for support has been so far.

China seems cool on the idea of backing South Ossetian autonomy and the Central Asian states may be reluctant to strain their relations with Europe and the United States.