Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is an international alliance that consists of 9 member states and 4 observers from Eurasia. It was established on 26 April 1996 as the Shanghai Five. In addition to the 10 member states and 1 observer, the SCO currently has 14 dialogue partners and 4 guest attendance entries.

Military personnel
The following list is sourced from the 2018 edition of "The Military Balance" published annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
 * Notes

Future participation
The following countries have applied for a position in the organization:

In 2012, Ukraine expressed interest in obtaining observer status. However, since the deposition of President Viktor Yanukovych and increased tensions with Russia, no application has been submitted and there are no current plans to incorporate Ukraine into the organization.

In 2011, Vietnam expressed interest in obtaining observer or dialogue partner status. However, it is unknown whether or not, Vietnam has submitted an application.

Guest attendance entries

 * Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
 * Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
 * Turkmenistan
 * United Nations

Membership declined
The United States applied for observer status in the SCO, but was rejected in 2005.