On June 1, 2018, Qingdao May Fourth Square and surrounding scenery (photographed by drone). Xinhua News Agency reporter Guo Xulei/photo (data map)
China Net, June 14 (Reporter Li Jinqiu) The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO for short) will celebrate its 20th anniversary on June 15, 2021. Since its establishment in 2001, the SCO has become the most extensive and populous comprehensive regional organization in the world today, with 8 member states, 4 observer states and 6 dialogue partner states.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the SCO, the member states decided to designate 2021 as the “SCO Cultural Year”, and the member states have successively held many cultural exchange activities.
In the 20-year development cycle, the SCO has developed into one of the most influential organizations in international relations. It is a key force for maintaining security and stability in the vast regions from the Arctic to the Indian Ocean, from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific.
Carry forward the “Shanghai Spirit” and build a community with a shared future for mankind
During the 20 years of rapid development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the “Shanghai Spirit” has always played an extremely important role in handling international disputes and promoting non-governmental diplomatic exchanges. The “Shanghai Spirit” advocates mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, and consultation. We must respect the diverse civilizations of different nations and conform to the mainstream of the times of peace and development. The “Shanghai Spirit” conforms to the common development interests of all member states, reflects a new type of state-to-state relations, and also embodies advanced forms of civilized exchanges.
On November 10, 2020, when Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the 20th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States in a video mode, he stated that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization should promote the “Shanghai Spirit”, strengthen cooperation in the fight against the epidemic, and maintain security and stability. Deepen pragmatic cooperation, promote people-to-people bonds, join hands to build a health community, a safety community, a development community, and a humanities community, and make more practical explorations to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
On June 3, 2021, when Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Civil Friendship Forum, he emphasized that all parties are expected to uphold the “Shanghai Spirit”, stick to their original aspirations, stand in the same boat, help each other, and deepen cooperation. It is necessary to give full play to the advantages of non-governmental diplomacy, broaden the channels for people of all countries to communicate with each other, and make positive contributions to the development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
On April 29, 2021, the “Meet in 2022. The Winter Olympics Theme Event of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Envoy to China” was held in Yanqing District, Beijing. Vladimir Norov, secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, stated that the spiritual core of the SCO is consistent with the Olympic spiritual core, and both include mutual trust, mutual respect and equality.
Norov said that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the SCO. Under the guidance of the “Shanghai Spirit”, SCO countries are promoting the Olympic spirit through strengthening sports cooperation and cultural exchanges, promoting exchanges of civilizations and mutual learning, and promoting mutual understanding among the people of all countries.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is about to enter the next decade. The former Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Rashid Alimov, said that the Dushanbe Summit in 2021 has a special link between the past and the future. The Dushanbe Summit will not only review the history of the SCO in the past two decades, but also pass the baton steadily, allowing the SCO to firmly set foot on the starting point of a long-distance track.
“The SCO has a solid institutional foundation and plays an important stabilizing role in global development. The SCO has full confidence in future development,” Alimov said.
Qingdao May Fourth Square taken on June 3, 2018. Xinhua News Agency reporter Shadati/photo (data map)
China’s pragmatic attitude plays a positive role in the development of the SCO
According to Xinhua News Agency, the former Secretary-General of the SCO Bolat Nurgaliev stated that since its establishment, the SCO has always taken it as its mission to enhance mutual trust among its member states, work together to meet common challenges, and work together to solve substantive problems. Fighting against the “three forces” of terrorism, separatism and extremism is regarded as the top priority. Over the past 20 years, member states have continued to carry out fruitful cooperation to properly respond to challenges that threaten the interests of member states and regional security and stability, and have accumulated rich experience.
Nurgaliev believes that China has played an extremely important role in the SCO. He said that China has always maintained a pragmatic attitude to participate in the activities of the SCO, including actively participating in the fight against the “three forces”, proposing constructive issues, and encouraging member states to tap their own development potential. In addition, the “Belt and Road” initiative proposed by Chinese leaders and the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind have all played a positive role in promoting the development of the SCO.
Watch and help each other to fight the epidemic, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has a strong “circle of friends”
The new crown pneumonia epidemic is still raging around the world, and it is a common challenge facing all mankind today. On June 3, 2021, at the opening ceremony of the SCO Civil Friendship Forum, SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov stated that the SCO countries did not stand idly by when Hubei, China was facing the test of the new crown epidemic. After the epidemic in Hubei was brought under control, he immediately extended a helping hand to other countries and shared valuable experience in fighting the epidemic. “We have demonstrated the SCO’s spirit of mutual assistance with practical actions.”
As early as July 7, 2020, the Chinese Hospital Association and the SCO Good-Neighborly Friendship and Cooperation Committee jointly held a China-SCO New Coronavirus Pneumonia Prevention and Control Theme Exchange Video Conference.
In his opening speech, Norov said that the new crown pneumonia epidemic has become the biggest public health crisis faced by mankind in the past 100 years. In the fight against the new crown virus, China has achieved positive results and has done its best to provide humanitarian assistance to the international community, demonstrating the international responsibility of a responsible major country.
On November 9, 2020, the launch of the SCO Blue Book “Building a SCO Community with a Shared Future: Opportunities and Challenges (2020)” was held in the form of a video link. The Blue Book pointed out that under the current situation of the new crown pneumonia epidemic sweeping the world, the construction of the SCO community with a shared future is of great significance to ensuring peace and stability in the SCO region and the SCO’s stability and long-term development, and its importance and urgency have been further highlighted.
Li Hui, the special representative for Eurasian Affairs of the Chinese government, said that in the face of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the SCO countries are in the same boat, watching and helping each other, vigorously supporting each other in fighting the epidemic, and steadily advancing cooperation in various fields and resuming production and work, injecting stability and positive energy into the world.
.