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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) — In the 24 years since the founding of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), under the guidance of the "Shanghai Spirit" characterized by mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultation, respect for cultural diversity and the pursuit of common development, the SCO has become a regional international organization with the largest territorial coverage and the largest population in the world.
The three Chinese port cities are closely linked to the development of the SCO.
SHANGHAI – THE CRADLE OF SECURITY
On June 15, 2001, the heads of state of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan jointly announced in Shanghai the creation of a new regional international organization on the Eurasian continent – the SCO.
The SCO was created in response to security needs. Shanghai, as the birthplace of the SCO, has consistently supported the organization's cooperation in areas such as counter-terrorism, drug control, and cybersecurity.
"The driving force behind the development of the SCO is not based on the logic of alliance or confrontation, but on its unique membership structure, functional orientation and cooperation orientation. Its goal is not to compete for regional dominance, but to solve the problems of regional security governance," said Zhao Long, deputy director of the Institute of Global Governance at the Shanghai Institute of International Studies.
In 2013, at the 13th meeting of the SCO Heads of State Council, China announced the establishment of the “SCO/China/Center for International Legal Training and Cooperation” at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, the construction of which was completed in 2017.
“One of the main tasks of this center is to promote practical cooperation between SCO member states in such areas as the fight against transnational crime, drug trafficking and extremism,” noted the rector of the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, director of the office of the Center for International Legal Training and Cooperation of the SCO /China/ Liu Xiaohong.
According to her, to date, the center has conducted more than 90 courses in online and offline formats, during which about 3 thousand foreign specialists have been trained.
The SCO actively advocates for the political settlement of pressing international and regional issues, including support for the efforts of the international community to achieve peace and development in Afghanistan, support for a comprehensive and fair settlement of the Palestinian issue based on the principle of “two states for two peoples”, firm support for the multilateral trading system and strong condemnation of the abuse of military force.
“The SCO advocates for the protection of the interests of the countries of the Global South, and thus makes efforts to advance the development of global governance in a more just and rational direction,” said Sun Zhuangzhi, director of the Institute of Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
QINGDAO – A BRIDGE OF TRADE AND ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP
Since its construction was announced in 2018, the China-SCO Regional Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone (hereinafter referred to as the “China-SCO Demonstration Zone”), located in Qingdao City, Shandong Province, East China, has accelerated the development and exchanges in commerce, tourism and culture, thereby promoting the integration development of Qingdao City with the SCO countries and the Belt and Road Initiative countries.
Zhang Xinzhu, head of the China-SCO Demonstration Zone, noted that the zone is gradually becoming an influential place where cultural elements, trade and economic resources, and important events within the SCO are combined.
“The China-SCO Demonstration Zone provides an opportunity to strengthen regional trade and economic ties, cultural exchanges and investment cooperation between the SCO countries,” said Evgeniya Ermolaeva, head of the international projects center of the autonomous non-profit organization “Center for Assistance to Entrepreneurship Development of the Novosibirsk Region.”
She added that the China-SCO Demonstration Zone provides comprehensive infrastructure, including logistics and transportation, which is especially important for enterprises engaged in foreign trade.
The Pearl of SCO International Expo Center, which is located in the China-SCO Demonstration Zone in Qingdao as a landmark project, greatly enhances the openness of this zone.
Head of the Belarus pavilion at the SCO Pearl Jia Tongqiang noted that Qingdao's rich port resources and developed logistics links with the SCO countries provide a reliable guarantee for the import and export of goods, as well as for the formation of supply chains.
According to data from the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China, in January-July 2025, China's trade volume in goods with other SCO member states amounted to 2.11 trillion yuan (US$1 is about 7.14 yuan), an increase of 3 percent year-on-year, reaching a new historical high.
The agency's data also showed that China's trade volume with other SCO member states reached 3.65 trillion yuan in 2024, 36.3 times higher than the level recorded at the organization's founding in 2001.
SCO Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev said that direct interaction between enterprises and investors, as well as between regions, is intended to become a reliable basis for strengthening industrial cooperation, developing new markets and implementing specific projects specifically under the SCO brand.
TIANJIN – A WINDOW OF CULTURAL INTERACTION
As an important gateway for opening up to the outside world in northern China, Tianjin became the fourth Chinese city after Shanghai, Beijing and Qingdao to host the SCO summit.
From August 31 to September 1, this metropolis will host the largest SCO summit since the organization’s founding, with more than 20 leaders of foreign countries and 10 senior officials from international organizations taking part.
Lu Ban Workshop, named after the famous ancient Chinese craftsman Lu Ban, is a brand of international vocational education initiated and promoted by Tianjin City Government.
To date, China has built 34 Lu Ban Workshops in 30 countries and regions around the world. 10 of them were established in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Pakistan, Cambodia, Egypt and other SCO countries.
“In less than ten years, Lu Ban Workshops has become so global that Chinese standards have become available abroad and have helped local development,” said Igor Khodachek, director of the Center for Eurasian Studies at the European University at St. Petersburg.
Director of the Institute of World Politics of Kyrgyzstan Sheradil Baktygulov said that the “Lu Ban Workshop” contributes to the development of Kyrgyzstan in such areas as robotics, unmanned driving and computer science. “Thanks to this project, our country can get the opportunity to develop complex high-tech equipment and technologies.”
Since 2022, Wu Zhengpeng, a teacher at Tianjin Vocational Institute of Urban Administration and Construction, has been teaching at the “Lu Ban Workshop” in Tajikistan using advanced equipment and 3D teaching resources.
“We had a comprehensive discussion with the teachers from the Tajik side and jointly formulated the curriculum and discussed the methodology,” Wu Zhengpeng shared.
Former SCO Secretary General and former Tajik Ambassador to China Rashid Alimov believes that the SCO unites countries with different histories, cultures and languages. Its practice shows that dialogue between civilizations is not only possible, but also productive. This can strengthen trust, cooperation and create conditions for peaceful development.
Secretary General of the Chinese SCO Committee on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Zuo Hongbo noted that the SCO summit in Tianjin will deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the organization's countries. -0-
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