BEIJING: From July 2 to 6, Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 24th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of State in Astana, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.
The Chinese president will also pay state visits to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan at the invitation of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, she said in a statement released here.
President Xi Jinping’s participation in the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, is part of a major diplomatic move by Beijing towards its neighbors and will be a strong impetus for building the SCO community with a shared future, analysts said.
From Tuesday to Saturday, Xi Jinping will attend the 24th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State and pay state visits to Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying announced on Sunday.
He has often emphasized the need to continue the “Shanghai Spirit” – a grouping principle characterized by mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and the pursuit of common development.
In addition, at the gatherings, Xi Jinping issued Chinese initiatives to strengthen solidarity and cooperation within the grouping. For example, at last year’s summit hosted by India, he announced that the country would conduct digital education programs in collaboration with the China and SCO Big Data Cooperation Center and host the SCO National Green Development Forum.
Sun Zhuangzhi, director of the Institute of Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Xi’s visit will further gather strength for the SCO to work together on the same boat, promote the quality and modernization of cooperation.
At the summit in Astana, the leaders of the member states will discuss a wide range of topics such as politics, trade, economy and culture. According to the Kazakh government, leaders of observer states and dialogue partner countries will also participate.
A number of documents will be signed at the summit, including the SCO development strategy until 2035, Kazakh officials said.
In the 23 years since its establishment, the SCO has made remarkable achievements in maintaining the security and stability of the region, deepening practical cooperation in various fields and increasing its international influence and appeal, analysts said.
Attending a forum last month in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, Zhang also called for strengthening reform and improving the organization’s work to ensure that SCO cooperation “keeps pace with the times and moves to new heights.”
Guan Xueling, director of Renmin University of China-St. The Center for Russian Studies of St. Petersburg State University said the summit in Astana will testify to the growing influence of the organization and its international standing.
Zhao Huirong, a researcher at the Institute of Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the SCO faces many opportunities as well as many challenges.
At the same time, the SCO faces a much more complex geopolitical environment, tougher regional and international security settings, and a number of alarming areas related to unconventional security, she added.
Vladimir Norov, former SCO secretary general and former foreign minister of Uzbekistan, said the organization’s spirit of solidarity, mutual trust and cooperation is “particularly rare in today’s world.”
“The SCO should continue to cooperate in this spirit to combat the three evil forces (separatism, extremism and terrorism), combat climate change, respond to cyber attacks and ensure the security of artificial intelligence,” he told 21st Century. Business Herald.
