Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed China’s commitment to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) while meeting senior diplomats and heads of SCO standing bodies in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. He underlined that the bloc remains a priority in China’s neighbourhood diplomacy, vowing to make it “more substantive and stronger.”
Starting from today, Xi will host the SCO Summit in Tianjin, where member states will map strategies for enhancing security, economic integration, and regional development.
Building Bonds of Good-Neighbourliness
Xi emphasised that friendly, secure, and prosperous ties with neighbours form the backbone of China’s foreign policy. During his June visit to Kazakhstan, he highlighted values of “amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness” as guiding principles.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev personally welcomed Xi on his sixth visit to the country, underscoring deepening Central Asian ties. “We always wish our neighbours well,” Xi said at the China-Central Asia Summit.
Since 2013, Xi has advanced the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation, pushing for detailed implementation plans adopted at multiple SCO summits, including Qingdao (2018) and Samarkand (2022).
A Shared Security Vision
Security remains central to the SCO, founded in 2001 to counter terrorism, extremism, and separatism. Xi has consistently promoted stronger security cooperation, including the SCO Convention on Countering Extremism, signed in 2017.
Under his leadership, the bloc has expanded counter-terror drills, anti-drug operations, and cybercrime cooperation. Just this month, the SCO states seized nearly 10 tons of narcotics in a joint operation led by China.
“Security is a prerequisite for national development, and safety is the lifeline to the happiness of the people,” Xi remarked in Astana.
Driving Regional Prosperity
Xi has also focused on sustainable development and connectivity projects. Under his proposal, 2025 has been declared the SCO Year of Sustainable Development.
The SCO demonstration base in Yangling, Shaanxi Province, has already trained over 2,000 agricultural experts, contributing to poverty reduction efforts. Meanwhile, flagship projects like the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, a key Belt and Road corridor, aim to boost regional trade and integration.
Trade between China and SCO members, observers, and partners reached a record $890 billion in 2024, accounting for 14.4% of China’s total foreign trade.
Toward a Shared Future
Xi’s frequent meetings with SCO leaders, including Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, have strengthened trust and personal rapport. Belarus’ recent entry as the SCO’s 10th member reflects the bloc’s growing influence.
“China’s efforts to build a community with a shared future with its neighbours are not just a philosophical concept. It’s a sustainable, multi-dimensional development blueprint grounded in mutual respect,” said Serik Korzhumbayev, editor-in-chief of Delovoy Kazakhstan.
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