Chinese President Xi Jinping urged member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to strengthen cooperation by finding common ground while putting differences aside, warning against a “Cold War mentality” and “bullying behavior” in global affairs.
Xi addressed leaders at the Tianjin summit, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and stated that the SCO had achieved “ground-breaking and historic results” by upholding the ideals of fairness, justice, and mutual respect. He emphasized that the bloc must continue to defend these values in order to address the increasingly difficult concerns of security and growth.
The worldwide situation is growing increasingly unstable and interconnected. “The security and development tasks that member states face have become even more difficult,” Xi remarked in his keynote speech, as reported by AFP.
Xi urged the grouping’s ten full members to avoid external intervention, strengthen regional cooperation, and promote multilateralism. “Looking to the future, with the world undergoing turbulence and transformation, we must continue to follow the Shanghai spirit, keep our feet on the ground, forge ahead, and better perform the functions of the organisation,” said Mr. Putin.
Call for Fairer Global Governance.
The Chinese leader emphasized the importance of a better and more equitable global governance system, as well as his support for multilateral trade systems. Xi believes that by opposing unilateralism and protectionist tactics, the SCO can contribute to world economic stability.
He noted that the organization’s strength is its ability to bridge divides among varied members and offer forums for conversation. “We must seek common ground while shelving differences, promote unity rather than division, and advance cooperation instead of confrontation,” the Chinese leader stated.
Against Bloc Politics.
In a sharp critique of Western-led alliances, Xi denounced Cold War-era thinking, bloc clashes, and hegemonic behaviors. Without naming any specific countries, he stated that the SCO “unequivocally stands against outside interference” and warned against confinement and bullying measures.
China and Russia have previously positioned the SCO as a counterweight to alliances such as NATO, presenting it as an example of non-Western multilateralism.
The SCO Gathering
Ten nations currently make up the SCO, which is holding its summit over two days: China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus. In keeping with the group’s growing impact, 16 more countries are linked as observers or discussion partners.
The summit for India takes place in the midst of recent bilateral contacts with China and Russia. Even as the leaders got ready for in-depth talks on trade, security, and regional stability, Modi was spotted having fun with Putin and Xi on the sidelines.
Xi summed up by referring to the “Shanghai spirit,” which is the SCO’s fundamental ideal and is based on equality, mutual trust, respect for cultural diversity, mutual benefit, consultation, and the pursuit of shared growth. He claimed that these principles would keep the bloc on course as it navigated world unrest and maintained its position as a forum for regional cooperation.
