Abstract
This study examines the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a tool of regional integration in Central Asia based on an analysis of its official language from 2015 to 2025. The study addresses a key gap in the literature by examining how regional integration is articulated and prioritized in official SCO discourse and how the relative salience of different areas of regional cooperation has changed over time. The study used a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative content analysis with quantitative frequency analysis of 41 official SCO documents, including declarations, statements, and joint communiqués. The coding scheme included six analytical categories: integration, economic cooperation, political coordination, energy and transport, humanitarian cooperation, and security. The results show that the SCO functions more as a hybrid institutional platform than as a traditional model of deep regional integration. Economic cooperation accounts for 26.8%, and security for 20.3% of the organization’s discourse, constituting the core of its activities. Longer-term analysis shows a significant shift from security-focused priorities in 2015-2019 to a more economically oriented and diverse agenda in 2020-2025. However, integration remains largely a matter of debate, reflected in ideas such as multipolarity and the "Shanghai spirit," rather than established mechanisms. This study complements existing literature by providing a systematic long-term analysis of SCO documents and linking discourse to measurable models of collaboration. The findings highlight the importance of flexible, consensus-based regionalism in a multipolar world and suggest that the SCO offers an alternative model for regional engagement through selective cooperation and adaptability.