It seems that Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is scaling new heights of mutual trust, cooperation and development because of China’s active role in its development, productive channels and investments.
Most recently held SCO’s Foreign Ministers meeting in Tianjin vividly reflected the Chinese wisdom of constructive neutrality, peaceful conflicts resolution, consultative political mechanism, integrated social harmony and last but not least, collaborative economic cooperation, uplifting its member countries from extreme poverty, unemployment, natural disasters and economic decline through transforming their economies, communities and enterprises.
By chairing the SCO Foreign Minister meeting the foreign Minister Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee thoroughly discussed achievements and future strategies of the SCO. Moreover, during the press briefing along with SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev shared special protocol arrangements for all foreign ministers of SCO member states and heads of its permanent bodies with Xi Jinping. Wang the Chinese foreign minister rightly shared that Xi stressed that the SCO should remain true to its founding mission, meet the expectations of the people and shoulder its mission of the times, which has provided guidance for the high-quality development of the SCO.
Furthermore, Wang stated that the Chinese government has arranged more than 110 important events covering various fields, including dozens of ministerial-level meeting mechanisms since assuming the rotating presidency in 2024 showing sincere commitments of exploring the real essence of Shanghai Spirit and SCO socio-economic-politico potential. Resultantly, these well planned activities have further enhanced SCO’s security cooperation, capacity of their productive channels, injected greater impetus into development, improved institutional building and greatly enhanced physical connectivity, institutional connectivity and people-to-people connectivity among member states.
It is a good omen that during the meeting foreign ministers had thorough exchanges on various topics, achieved the expected goals and made full political preparations for the upcoming Tianjin Summit. The foreign ministers agreed to take concrete actions in the following five aspects ranging from carrying forward the Shanghai Spirit, persuasion of qualitative security mechanism, creation of inclusive development, consolidation of good-neighborliness and friendship and last but not least, upholding of fairness and justice among the member countries.
It is indeed a holistic and comprehensive road map for the further strengthening of sustainable ties among the SCO Family in the days to come. It is futuristic and pro-development providing equal opportunities for all the member states. It is people, business and investment friendly declaration gearing immense development, prosperity and mutual respect among the SCO member countries. The critical analysis of these five-point strategy reveals that Shanghai Spirit has a magnetic force and very root and soul of the SCO demonstrating timeless value throughout its development course. The consensus of all parties on maintaining, promoting and supporting it will further strengthen solidarity, deepen mutual trust, continuously enrich the profound substance of it and make it a basic norm governing international relations.
On the other hands by improving security mechanisms all parties reaffirmed the need to fully implement the important common understandings reached by the leaders of member states and continuously enhance the SCO’s ability to respond to security threats and challenges, including combating the “three forces” of terrorism, separatism and extremism, transnational organized crime, drug trafficking and safeguarding information security. Thus SCO Family is on the right path and right direction. In this regard, the decision to accelerate the building of “four security centers”, including a universal center and its branches to address the challenges and threats to the security of SCO member states and the Anti-Drug Center will be a value addition and an important part of improving the SCO’s operational mechanisms.
Moreover, all parties’ agreement on creation of development opportunities together should be sought through creating greater consensus of member states’ development strategies, enhance the resilience of industrial and supply chains and foster new growth drivers in such fields as economy, trade, investment, energy, connectivity, scientific and technological innovation, green industries and the digital economy. Hence the establishment of an SCO development bank and other financing support mechanisms and reaching a principled consensus would open a new window of opportunity widening scope, pace and utility of the SCO in the days to come.
Additionally, consolidation of good-neighborliness and friendship would be an important factor among the SCO member countries. All parties rightly advocated for fully leveraging various mechanisms, platforms and non-governmental channels to continue the friendship from generation to generation is a good omen. Hopefully, the Chinese government will seek a cordial, secure and prosperous neighborhood, follow the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and share weal and woe with its neighbors, work with other SCO countries to build a common home of solidarity and mutual trust, peace and tranquility, prosperity and development, good-neighborliness and friendship and fairness and justice.
Last but not least, upholding of fairness and justice will further brighten the SCO future cooperation and coordination. Interestingly, all parties have decided to uphold the correct historical view of World War II, defend the outcomes of the victory of World War II, firmly safeguard the UN-centered international system and work for a more just and equitable global governance system. All parties particularly pointed out that the world today is overshadowed by the dark clouds of power politics and bullying and beset by frequent international and regional conflicts.
In summary, the SCO should not be acted as a debating club of mere innovative ideas and media of high philosophies and policies but must be a regulating body for greater socio-economic integration, trade & commerce cooperation and operationalization and channelization of its RATS neutralizing all the emerging security threats within the SCO. Thus more proactive actions are needed to promote lasting peace in the Middle East and help Afghanistan restore stability and development, so as to contribute to the cause of human progress.
