By He Yin, People’s Daily
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 will be held in Tianjin from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1. This will be the fifth time China hosts the gathering and the largest summit in the organization’s history.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will join leaders from more than 20 countries and heads of 10 international organizations on the banks of the Haihe River to review the SCO’s achievements, chart its future course, build consensus among member states, and steer the organization toward the goal of building a closer SCO community with a shared future.
The SCO has become a model of new international relations and regional cooperation, and a constructive force of global significance. Since its founding 24 years ago, the organization has adhered to the Shanghai Spirit, which is founded on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations, and the pursuit of common development.
Since its inception in China’s Shanghai in 2001, the SCO has expanded from a regional organization with six members into a trans-regional organization with 10 full members, two observer countries, and 14 dialogue partners. Over the years, it has deepened solidarity and mutual trust, strengthened security cooperation with tangible results, advanced integrated development to the benefit of all parties, enhanced cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and expanded its influence and appeal.
At a time of turbulence and uncertainty in the international landscape, the SCO has remained confident and taken practical steps to advance cooperation. It serves as the torchbearer of the Shanghai Spirit, a practitioner of deeper collaboration, and a contributor to building a community with a shared future for humanity, providing more stability and positive momentum to the world.
As a founding member, China has always prioritized the SCO in its neighborhood diplomacy. Since China took over the SCO rotating chairmanship in July last year, China has acted on the slogan “Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move,” and made solid progress in its work as the SCO chair.
It has hosted over 100 events, and worked with all member states to advance reform and innovation in various aspects such as the deliberation mechanism, cooperation pattern and permanent bodies, to ensure smoother and more efficient operation of the organization. Together with SCO member states, it has actively carried out exchanges and dialogues among political parties, media and think tanks, giving people a better understanding of the “Shanghai Spirit” and bringing the big family of the SCO closer.
Modernization is the common aspiration of SCO members. This year, Pakistan’s New Gwadar International Airport, built with China’s support, welcomed its inaugural commercial flight. The mainline construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway entered the substantive construction phase, accelerating the development of a multidimensional regional connectivity network. In Nepal, the Sanjen Khola hydropower station, built by a Chinese company, has been put into operation and connected to the national grid, contributing to efforts in alleviating local power shortage.
Through active participation in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and alignment with the Global Development Initiative, the SCO is steadily evolving into a reliable strategic backbone for common prosperity and vitalization of its member states.
Today’s world remains overshadowed by power politics, unilateral bullying, and persistent conflicts, underscoring the urgent need for fairness and justice. By standing firmly on the right side of history, the SCO is redoubling efforts to safeguard peace, fairness, and justice in global affairs.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. Against this historical backdrop, the SCO has amplified the collective voice of its member states on major international and regional issues, made the system of global governance fairer and more equitable, and united and guided the Global South in building a community with a shared future for humanity.
The upcoming SCO Tianjin Summit is expected to be an event of friendship, solidarity, and tangible achievements, highlighting the SCO’s resilience and stability amid global uncertainties.
Together with all member states, China will remain committed to the SCO’s founding mission, fulfill its responsibilities through concrete actions, and seek common prosperity through cooperation. By leading the organization into a new stage of stronger unity, deeper collaboration, greater vitality, and broader achievements, China and its partners will contribute more “SCO strength” to lasting world peace and shared development.
SCO summit in Tianjin to usher in a new era of cooperation
