Axis of Upheaval

  • In August–September 2025, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit highlighted a shifting global order as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea deepened ties while opposing US dominance. Analysts call this loose grouping the “axis of upheaval.”
  • Coined in April 2024 by Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Richard Fontaine, the term describes an alignment, not an alliance—built on shared opposition to US power, not on deep trust.
  • Core members are:
    • China – pushing for a multipolar world and supplying economic support to Russia.
    • Russia – isolated after Ukraine, relying on China, Iran, and North Korea.
    • Iran – trading heavily with China and supplying drones to Russia.
    • North Korea ....
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