At the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Tianjin, Chinese President Xi Jinping urged member nations to remain true to the group’s founding spirit while advancing unity, cooperation, and global governance reforms.
Xi outlined China’s commitment to strengthening the SCO through security, trade, cultural exchanges, and development initiatives, pledging new funding, projects, and talent-building programs to support regional prosperity.
Reaffirming the Shanghai Spirit
Xi recalled that since its founding 24 years ago, the SCO has been guided by the “Shanghai Spirit” of mutual trust, equality, consultation, respect for diversity, and shared growth.
“We were the first to set up a military confidence-building mechanism, the first to launch Belt and Road cooperation, and the first to put forth a vision of true multilateralism,” Xi said.
He credited this foundation with turning borders into “bonds of friendship” and with delivering “groundbreaking achievements” across security, trade, and cultural ties.
Five Priorities for the Future
Xi proposed five guiding principles for the SCO’s future:
Seek Common Ground – Strengthen solidarity by respecting differences while expanding cooperation.
Pursue Mutual Benefit – Align development strategies, deepen Belt and Road projects, and advance energy, infrastructure, digital economy, green growth, AI, and scientific innovation.
Champion Openness & Inclusiveness – Promote people-to-people exchanges and safeguard Asia-Europe as a hub of cooperation and cultural harmony.
Uphold Fairness & Justice – Resist bloc politics, bullying, and Cold War mentalities while defending the UN system and a fairer global governance order.
Ensure Efficiency & Results – Push SCO reforms, enhance institutional capacity, and operationalise key security and anti-drug centres while setting up an SCO Development Bank.
China’s Commitments to the SCO States
China, Xi emphasised, would align its growth with SCO development and the aspirations of its people.
Funding: RMB 2 billion in grants this year, plus RMB 10 billion in loans over three years.
Projects: 100 “small and beautiful” livelihood projects across member states.
Talent: Double SCO scholarships, launch a PhD innovation program, and establish 10 Luban Workshops to train 10,000 professionals in five years.
Trade & Investment: China’s stock in SCO states already exceeds USD 84 billion, with annual bilateral trade surpassing USD 500 billion.
“Where will prevails, no boundary holds,” Xi said, urging members to “march steadily toward a brighter tomorrow of a community with a shared future for humanity.”
Building a Stronger SCO
With 26 participating countries, over 50 cooperation areas, and a combined economic output of nearly USD 30 trillion, the SCO is now the largest regional organisation in the world. Xi called this influence a “proactive force for world peace and development” and urged members to carry the legacy forward with practical measures.
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