China to host friendly, united, fruitful SCO summit next year: vice foreign minister

China to host friendly, united, fruitful SCO summit next year: vice foreign minister stated highlighting its role in peaceful development.

China will host a welcoming, unified, and productive Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit next year, according to Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong. He announced that China has assumed the rotating presidency of the SCO for the 2024-2025 period and will organize the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO in the coming year.

As the SCO is the first international organization with China as a founding member and named after a Chinese city, Sun highlighted that the organization, since its inception in 2001, has followed the Shanghai Spirit and made significant strides in peaceful development. This success has established a model for creating a new type of international relations.

Sun emphasized that China will collaborate with SCO member states to maintain unity and cooperation, advance the global initiatives proposed by China, and contribute positively to global peace and prosperity.

During its presidency, China plans to focus on the “SCO Year of Sustainable Development,” addressing areas such as poverty reduction, food security, public health, development financing, climate change, green development, industrialization, digital economy, and connectivity.

He added that China will draft the SCO summit declaration and the organization’s development strategy for the next phase. Additionally, China will host over 100 meetings and activities within the SCO framework to enhance practical cooperation across various sectors.