Abird鈥檚-eyeviewofQingdao,whichwillhosttheShanghaiCooperationOrganization(SCO)summitfromJune9to10.byXuXun
April24,2018:TheMeetingoftheCouncilofForeignMinistersoftheMemberStatesoftheShanghaiCooperationOrganization(SCO)isheldinBeijingasapreparationfortheupcomingSCOQingdaosummitinJune.ICTheyoungandenergeticShanghaiCooperationOrganization(SCO)hasgrownintotheworld鈥檚largestcomprehensiveregionalorganizationforcooperationaftertheadmissionofIndiaandPakistan.TheSCOhasabandonedpatternsofalliance,disagreementsoverideologyandfrequentconfrontationinfavorofdedicationtosolvingurgentregionalandinternationalissues.TheSCO鈥檚pastworkhaslaidasolidfoundationforeffectiveanddevelopment-orientedcooperationamongmembercountries.
TheShanghaiSpiritwrittenintheSCOCharterdemonstratesitsmembers鈥檇eterminationtotacklechallengestogetherandtheirwilltodevelopanewtypeofinternationalrelations.ConsideredthesouloftheSCO,theShanghaiSpiritvaluesmutualtrustandequality,respectforothercountries鈥檙ealityandmutualbeneficialcooperation.AccordingtotheSCOCharterandtheTreatyofLong-TermGood-Neighborliness,FriendshipandCooperationbetweentheMemberStatesoftheSCO,itsmembercountrieswillseekconsensusonlyonequalfootingandwithbroaddeliberation,aprinciplefuelingextensivecooperation.
ExpandingFieldsforCooperation
WarhasbeenfrequentthroughouthistoryontheEurasiansupercontinent.SowhenSCOmemberstatesintheregionconsciouslyandresponsiblyimplementcooperativeprogramsinkeyfieldsofinternationalpolitics,economicsandculture,thevalueoftheSCOanditsprospectsforfuturedevelopmentbecomeclear.
SCOmembers,observersanddialoguepartnerstogetherholdrichenergy,forestandfreshwaterresources,withthreecountries鈥昍ussia,IranandChina鈥時ankinginthetoptenoftheworldintermsofresourcereserves.ThecombinedGDPofitsfullmembersaccountsfor21percentoftheworld鈥檚totalandtheirindustrieshavegreatpotential.Inrecentyears,SCOmembercountrieshavepaidgreaterattentiontohigh-tech,innovativeproductionandthedevelopmentofthedigitaleconomyinrealmslikemetallurgy,machinery,energyandtransportation.Thecountries鈥檕utputsofproductssuchasgrain,maize,sunflowerseeds,potatoes,soybeans,teaandcottonalsotoptheworld.
SCOmembercountrieshaveactedasonetosolveglobaleconomicproblems,greatlypromotingtheirowngrowth.Forexample,theSCOsupportsconstantlyimprovingtheinternationaltradesystemtomakeitmoreopenandfairandforcefullyopposesanyformoftradeprotectionism.Inrecentyears,theSCOhastakenactivemeasuresineconomicstoenablesmootherflowofcommodities,capital,servicesandtechnologywithintheorganizationaswellasbetteralignmentofdifferenteconomicinitiativesfrommembercountries.
SCOmembercountrieshaveadoptedtheirowneffectiveforeignpoliciesandplayedanactiveroleinlarge-scaleinternationalorganizations,especiallytheUnitedNationsanditsagenciesliketheOfficeonDrugsandCrimeandtheEconomicandSocialCommissionforAsiaandthePacific(ESCAP).TheSCOhasalsocarriedoutdirectorindirectcollaborationwithorganizationsandmechanismsliketheAssociationofSoutheastAsianNations,theCommonwealthoftheIndependentStates,CollectiveSecurityTreatyOrganization,theEurasianEconomicCommunity,BRICS,theOrganizationoftheIslamicConference,andtheConferenceonInteractionandConfidenceBuildingMeasuresinAsia,whichhashelpedtheSCOdevelopexternalrelationsandfostermoreopportunitiestopromotecooperationamonginternationalorganizationsandhigh-levelexchangebetweencountries,maintainpeaceandsecurity,andenhancesustainabledevelopment.
MaintainingPeaceandSecurity
Coveringthemostimportantgeopoliticalregionintheworld,theSCOfacesalmosteverykindofthreatandchallengeincludingterrorism,drugtrafficking,organizedcybercrimeandmoneylaundering.
SCOmembercountriesanditsRegionalAnti-TerroristStructure(RATS)havejointlytakenactivemeasurestofightsuchcrimeforcefully,con-tributinggreatlytothefightagainstterrorism,separatismandextremismworldwide.TheexperiencethattheSCOgainedcanbeadoptedbyotherinternationalorregionalgroups.
February5,2017:Thefirsttrainloadedwith720tonsofwheatfromKazakhstanarrivesatChinaKazakhstanLianyungangLogisticsTransitBasebeforeheadingtotheSoutheastAsianmarket,markingtheopeningofasafegrainpassagefromKazakhstanthroughChina.XinhuaDeepeningglobalizationhasmotivatedregionsandnationstopaymoreattentiontonationalandregionaldistinctiveness.SCOmembershavealsojoinedthetrend.Theyareexploringchannelsforculturalexchangeatdifferentlevelsinhopeofdemystifyingthespiritual,materialandculturalworldsoftheirpartnerswhilemaintainingtheirowncivilization,cultureandnationalcharacteristics.
Todayitismoreurgentthanevertostopthespreadofterrorismandextremismandfightagainstbehaviorsthatinciteterrorism.ThisisanurgentmissionfortheSCO.Againstthisbackdrop,SCOmembercountriesaretakingbolderactiontocombatextremism,ethnicprejudiceandxenophobia.Andtheirexperiencesareuniversallymeaningful.
Considerdthebirthplaceofalmosteverymajorworldcivilization,religionandculture,theSCOregionisofstrategicimportanceformaintainingthepeaceandsecurityofEurasiaandeventheworld.TheSCO鈥檚vastterritoryandgreatpotentialdetermineitsstatusinglobaleconomics,politicsandculture,andthegroup鈥檚stablegrowthwillexertlastinginfluenceonmajorsectorsofglobaldevelopment.
Inthefuture,bycontinuingtoadheretotheprinciplesofpeace,commondevelopmentandequalcooperation,theSCOwillstrengthendialogueandcollaborationwithinternationalorganizationsandcontributemoretopeace,safetyandsustainabledevelopmentoftheregionandeventheworld.
GreatEight
TheSCOremainsopentoallnationsandinternationalorganizations,asevidencedbyitsexpansionprocess.Theorganizationwillacceptnewmemberswhorespectitsobjectivesandprinciplesandcomplywiththeprovisionsofrelevantinternationaltreatiesandinstruments,whichhasbeenwrittenintheSCOCharter,demonstratingtheopennessoftheorganization.
June27,2017:Ajointanti-terrorismdrillbytwoSCOmembers,ChinaandKyrgyzstan,iscarriedoutonthebordersofthetwocountries.XinhuaAttheAstanasummitinJune2017,headsofmemberstatesoftheSCOdeterminedtoacceptIndiaandPakistanasfullmembersaftertheyhadservedasobserversfor12years.Aweeklater,thenationalflagsofthetwoSouthAsiancountriesroseatSCOheadquartersinBeijing.Sincethen,eightcountriesinEurasiahavebeenmembersofthegroup,makingtheSCOthelargestcross-regioncoalition鈥攁naturalresultoftheworld鈥檚dramaticchangesingeopoliticsattheturnofthecentury.
Inthepresentglobalcontext,thewilltopursueindependence,progressanddevelopmentunitesmembersoftheSCO.TwopermanentmembersoftheUnitedNationsSecurityCouncil,RussiaandChina,activelyembedglobalstrategiesintotheirownforeignpolicies,apracticewhichhastakentheSCOtotheforefrontofinternationalrelations.
Amongthecountriesofficiallyidentifiedashavingnuclearweapons,fourareSCOmembers:Russia,China,IndiaandPakistan.ThefiveCentralAsiancountriesincludingKazakhstan,Tajikistan,KyrgyzstanandUzbekistanarecontractingpartiesoftheCentralAsianNuclear-Weapon-FreeZone(CANWFZ)treaty.AndRussia,ChinaandIndiahavelaunchedlong-termspaceprograms.
So,againstthebackdropofanincreasinglyturbulentworld,theeightcountriesingreaterEurasia,anew鈥淕8,鈥漺illplayanimportantroleinassessing,addressinganddeterminingglobalissues.
Thisyear鈥檚SCOsummitwillbeheldinJuneinChina鈥檚QingdaoCity.Itisexpectedthatundertheframeworkofthe鈥渆ightmembercountriesoftheSCO,鈥漷heywillidentifynewcooperativefieldsandstrengthendeterminationtomaintainpeaceandsecurityandpromotecommondevelopmentinconcertonthebroadplatformoftheSCO.
TheSCODevelopmentStrategyuntil2025targetssolvingrealproblemsfacedbyitsmembercountries.Theseissues,threatsandchallengescutacrossbordersanddemandcollectivewisdom.TheadmissionofIndiaandPakistannotonlyincreasesthestrengthoftheorganizationbutalsocreatesnewpossibilitiesforrealizingitsaims.Withitsincreasingexpansionandfurthercooperationwithitsobservercountriesanddialoguepartners,thepotentialfortheSCOwilldefinitelygrow.Obviously,thenewgroupofeightcountrieswillhelpaddresscurrentchallengesandthreatsmoreefficientlyandtakeadvantageofcurrentopportunitiestodealwithsocialandeconomicproblems.IntheSCO,thevoicesofallcountries,bigorsmall,richorpoor,areheardequally,anadvantageofthegroup.
Inthisfast-changingworld,regionalorganizationsareplayingamoreimportantroleinsolvingrealproblems.Anewpatternofcooperation,theSCOisusingpracticalactiontoraiseitsstatusasaprestigiousmultilateralcoalitionthatenhancesthepeaceandstabilityoftheregion,solvesnewthreatsandchallenges,strengthenstradeandculturalcooperationandtapsintothepotentialofgood-neighborlyandfriendlyrelationsamongpeoplesofmembercountries.
TheauthorisSCOSecretary-GeneralandholdsaPh.D.degreeinpolitics.
May18,2016:QianwanportofQingdao.WithintheBeltandRoadInitiative,QingdaoislistedasanimportanthubofthenewEurasianlandbridge.IC