Build a Stronger Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Build a Stronger Shanghai Cooperation Organization*

September 17, 2021

The past 20 years have seen an evolving international environment and a profound reshaping of the global governance system. These years have also witnessed the vigorous growth of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and fruitful, mutually beneficial cooperation among its member states. Over the past two decades, the SCO has been guided by the Shanghai Spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations, and pursuit of common development. It has endeavored to promote world peace, development and human progress, and it has explored new ground, both in theory and in practice, to build a new model of international relations and a global community of shared future.

– We have promoted mutual political trust. 

We have signed the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation and created a new model based on partnership and dialogue rather than alliance or confrontation. We have supported each other on issues which involve our respective core interests and are of major concern to us. And we have provided reliable and strong support to each other in our pursuit of development.

– We have ensured security and stability. 

We were the first to issue a call to arms against terrorism, separatism and extremism. We have taken tough actions to curb the spread of drug trafficking, cybercrime, and transnational organized crime, and held joint counter-terrorism exercises and border control operations. We call for political settlement of international and regional flashpoints. Thus, we have erected a powerful defense to uphold peace and tranquility in our region.

– We have jointly pursued prosperity and development. 

We have intensified cooperation in our region. People-to-people programs such as art festivals, the SCO University, and the SCO Forum on Traditional Medicine have been launched. With SCO speed and SCO efficiency, as evidenced by the 12 percent annual growth of the total GDP and foreign trade of SCO member states and a manifold increase in the number of mutual visits, we have moved faster to deliver a decent life for people in SCO countries. 

– We have upheld international justice. 

We have advocated multilateralism and the common values of humanity and spoken out against hegemony and power politics. We have maintained close coordination with SCO observer states and dialogue partners as well as international and regional organizations which share the SCO’s purposes and principles. And we have worked with other members of the international community in quest of a shared future.

The SCO has now reached a new historic starting point. We should stay committed to the Shanghai Spirit, keep to the right direction, promote democracy in international relations, and pursue our own development as part of our efforts to promote common development for humanity. Together, we can build a closer SCO community of shared future and contribute even more to durable global peace and common prosperity. To this end, it is imperative that we do the following:

First, we need to strengthen solidarity and cooperation. 

To keep the SCO on a steady course of development, we should make the most of the meeting mechanisms and platforms at various levels, and step up policy dialogue, consultation and coordination. And we should respect each other’s legitimate concerns, and promptly resolve issues that may arise and affect our cooperation. We should maintain firm confidence in our systems, reject condescending lectures, and firmly support countries in exploring the development paths and governance models that are compatible with their national conditions. We should support each other in steadily advancing important political agendas such as domestic elections. We must never allow any external interference in the domestic affairs of countries in our region under whatever pretext. In short, we should keep our countries’ development and future firmly in our own hands.

Fighting Covid-19 remains the most pressing task facing us all. We should follow the principle of putting people and their lives first and respect science. We need to expand international cooperation against the virus, promote fair and equitable distribution of vaccines, and firmly oppose any attempt to politicize Covid-19 origin tracing. To protect the lives and health of people across the world, China has provided close to 1.2 billion doses of finished and bulk vaccines to over 100 countries and international organizations, which means it is the biggest vaccine provider in the world. China will provide a total of 2 billion doses to other countries in the course of this year. We will expand anti-Covid-19 cooperation with other developing countries, and make good use of China’s US$100 million donation to COVAX. Together, we humanity will ultimately beat the virus.

Second, we need to uphold our common security. 

Faced with complex and fluid security dynamics in the region, we need to pursue common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and take tough actions against terrorism, separatism and extremism, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement. We need to strengthen cooperation in counter-narcotics, border control, and security for major events, and speedily improve the SCO’s security cooperation mechanism. We need to fully implement the Convention on Countering Extremism and other legal instruments, and boost the capacity of competent SCO government authorities to maintain stability and respond to emergencies.

Afghanistan has experienced a period of dramatic change. With the withdrawal of foreign troops, a new page has been opened in its history. But Afghanistan still faces many daunting challenges, and it needs the support and assistance of the international community, particularly countries in our region. We SCO member states need to step up coordination, make full use of platforms such as the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group, and facilitate a smooth transition in Afghanistan. We need to encourage Afghanistan to put in place a broad-based and inclusive political framework, adopt prudent and moderate domestic and foreign policies, resolutely fight terrorism in all its forms, live in amity with its neighbors, and truly embark on a path of peace, stability and development. 

Third, we need to promote openness and integration. 

We SCO countries are all at a critical stage of development. Being close to each other and sharing common interests are our unique strengths. We need to make full use of these strengths, stay committed to openness and cooperation, and pursue our shared goal of development and rejuvenation. We need to continue to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and ensure secure and orderly flow of people, goods, capital and data. We should create growth drivers that promote cooperation, such as the digital economy, green energy and modern agriculture. Belt and Road cooperation is a major platform for promoting development for us all. We need to strengthen complementarity between the Belt and Road Initiative and the development strategies of SCO countries, and with regional cooperation initiatives such as the Eurasian Economic Union. We should keep industrial and supply chains functioning smoothly, promote economic integration and interconnected development of all countries, and deliver shared benefits to all. 

To facilitate post-Covid economic recovery in SCO countries, China will continue to share its market opportunities with other countries. In the next five years we will work to achieve the goal of US$2.3 trillion in cumulative trade with you, our fellow SCO countries, and we will improve the structure and balance of China’s trade with you. China will open a China-SCO Business and Trade Institute to promote multilateral business and trade cooperation among SCO countries. Phase one of the RMB30 billion equivalent special lending facility set up by China in 2018 within the SCO framework will soon be completed, and China will then launch the second phase to promote Belt and Road cooperation. This lending facility is earmarked mainly for projects on modern connectivity, infrastructure development, and green, low-carbon and sustainable development. 

Fourth, we need to draw on each other’s strengths.

The most solid foundation for the SCO’s development lies in mutual learning among civilizations, and its greatest strength lies in people-to-people bonds. We need to encourage exchanges, dialogue, harmony and coexistence between civilizations. We should launch more popular and practical projects in such areas as science and technology, education, culture, health and poverty alleviation. We should fully tap into platforms including the youth exchange camp, women’s forum, media forum, and forum on people-to-people friendship, and give full rein to social organizations such as the Good-neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission. With these efforts, we can build a bridge of mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the SCO countries. 

In the next three years, China will provide 1,000 training opportunities on poverty alleviation for other SCO countries, open 10 Lu Ban Workshops, and launch 30 cooperation projects within the framework of the Silk Road Community Building Initiative in areas such as health, poverty alleviation, culture and education. This will help those countries in need build capacity and improve the lives of their people. China will host an SCO youth forum on technology and innovation next year to help unleash the creativity of young people in SCO countries. China proposes to establish an SCO alliance of traditional medicine industries to explore new ways of cooperation in this field. China welcomes the participation of all countries in the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Together, we can deliver a streamlined, safe and splendid Olympic Games. 

Fifth, we need to uphold equity and justice. 

“The powerful may get the upper hand for the time being, but justice will ultimately prevail.” Acting from an assumed position of strength is not the way to handle international affairs; hegemonic and domineering actions should be firmly rejected, as should the abuse of the weak by the strong. In handling international relations, we should abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and follow the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits. We must practice true multilateralism and oppose actions that use spurious rules as a pretext to undermine the international order and cause confrontation and division. We should boost mutually beneficial cooperation, remove barriers that impede trade, investment and technological exchanges, and promote inclusive development that delivers benefits to all. 

* Part of the speech at the 21st Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

(Not to be republished for any commercial or other purposes.)