Charting course for more united, efficient SCO
As the curtain rises on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Tianjin Summit, joint efforts are expected to make the organization more united and efficient, empowering it to contribute more to peace and development.
The summit this year is the largest since the SCO's establishment in 2001, which is a testament to its international influence and appeal. China firmly believes the two-day event will usher in a new stage of high-quality development for the SCO featuring "stronger solidarity, coordination, dynamism and productiveness," as is put by Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Bin.
The expected outcomes of the meeting include a declaration, a 10-year development strategy for the SCO, and documents on strengthening cooperation in the fields of security, economy, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
Over the past 24 years, the SCO has grown from its initial six founding member states into a 26-nation family comprising 10 member states, two observer states and 14 dialogue partners, covering approximately half of the world's population and about a quarter of global GDP.
Political mutual trust among member states has continued to deepen, and cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful outcomes. With cooperation mechanisms at different levels in operation, the SCO has become more mature, stronger and more vibrant, making it an important and constructive force in regional and international affairs.
Security cooperation has always been a priority area for the SCO, which has become an anchor of stability and an accelerator of development in the region. Remarkable progress has been made in cooperation across various sectors, including the economy, trade, investment and connectivity. Trade between China and other SCO member states, observer states and dialogue partners reached a record high of 890 billion U.S. dollars last year. Besides traditional fields, cooperation in green energy and digital economy is booming.
The fundamental driver of growth and vibrancy of the SCO is the Shanghai Spirit, which features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and pursuit of common development.
This spirit is the shared value, the root and the soul of the SCO, transcending outdated Cold War mentalities and zero-sum games. To build a more efficient and impactful SCO, it is important to uphold the Shanghai Spirit and improve the organization's operational mechanisms.
By emphasizing partnership and dialogue over alliance and confrontation, the SCO is a model for a new form of international relations.
Against the backdrop of a turbulent and changing international landscape where power politics and regional conflicts persist, the SCO, as a key platform for unity and cooperation among Global South countries, is well-positioned to play a positive role in promoting a more equal, orderly and multipolar world, and in building a more just and equitable global governance system.
In recent years, the SCO has actively uttered its voice regarding international governance. The summit in Tianjin will issue a statement marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and of the founding of the United Nations, reflecting the SCO's efforts to safeguard the post-World War II international order and enhance the global governance system.
China has always prioritized the SCO in its neighborhood diplomacy, and is committed to making the organization more substantive and stronger and building a closer SCO community with a shared future.
It is expected that the Tianjin Summit will enable the SCO to build greater consensus on comprehensive cooperation and adopt new, solid measures to support its high-quality development, contribute more "SCO strength" to building a community with a shared future for humanity, and inject greater stability and positive energy into the world.
