At the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend via video conference in Beijing the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and deliver important remarks on July 4, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson and Assistant Foreign Minister Hua Chunying announced Friday.

In response to a question on how China views the SCO's development and its expectations of this summit at a daily press briefing, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the ministry, said the SCO, since its establishment, has always adhered to the "Shanghai Spirit," continued to consolidate friendly relations and political mutual trust between member states and advanced cooperation in various areas, playing an important constructive role in international and regional affairs.

Amid a world intertwined with change and turmoil with increasing unstable, uncertain and unpredictable factors, the international community and regional countries expect the SCO to make greater contributions to maintaining regional security and promoting common development, Mao said.

As one of the founding members, China always takes the SCO as a diplomatic priority and stands ready to work with other member states to actively implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, advance the building of a closer SCO community with a shared future and aim to create a better future for Eurasia, she said.

During the summit, President Xi will deliver important remarks and make plans for the development of the SCO with the leaders of the participating countries, Mao said.

"It is believed that under the joint efforts of all related parties, the SCO will achieve greater development and help regional countries develop and prosper," she added.

(Cover: Volunteers at the SCO International Investment and Trade Expo in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, June 15, 2023. /CFP)