Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday proposed a comprehensive five-point plan to guide the future development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), calling for deeper cooperation and strategic alignment among member states amid growing global uncertainty.
Speaking at the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting of SCO member states, attended by India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and top diplomats from other member countries, Wang highlighted the need to fortify the SCO’s role as a stabilising force in a world facing multipolar shifts, protectionism, and regional conflicts.
Wang Yi’s Five Suggestions for SCO Development:
- Upholding the “Shanghai Spirit” – Mutual trust, benefit, equality, consultation, and respect for diversity as the foundation for cooperation.
- Strengthening Collective Security – Tackling threats from terrorism, separatism, extremism, and responding to new global security challenges.
- Fostering Economic Synergy – Promoting trade, technology, green development, and the digital economy for inclusive growth.
- Building Good Neighbourly Relations – Advocating for peaceful co-existence and shared prosperity among member states.
- Defending Multilateralism and Global Justice – Supporting the UN system, promoting equitable global governance, and resisting unilateralism.
Wang also expressed concern over conflicts in the Middle East and violations of Iran’s sovereignty, urging the SCO to take a unified and responsible stance on international crises.
The meeting also finalized key documents for the upcoming Tianjin SCO Summit scheduled for August 31 – September 1, including the draft Tianjin Declaration and a ten-year development strategy for the bloc.
Foreign ministers from Russia, India, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and SCO officials attended the high-level gathering. Wang concluded by thanking all member states for their support during China’s rotating presidency and expressed confidence in the summit’s success.