Xi Jinping urges SCO members to oppose external interference

Members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should consolidate unity and oppose external interference in the face of the real challenges of interference and division, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Thursday.

Belarus officially joined the organization on Thursday. Noting that the organization has inducted its 10th member state since its establishment 23 years ago, Xi said the foundation for SCO cooperation has become more solid as the "big family" has a growing participation that covers three continents around the world.

Xi pointed out that the SCO stands on the right side of history, fairness, and justice and is of great significance to the world. 

SCO members should firmly support each other, accommodate each other's concerns, handle internal differences with a spirit of harmony, resolve cooperation difficulties by seeking common ground while reserving differences, and firmly grasp the destiny of our countries and the peace and development of the region in our own hands, he said. 

He called on member states to safeguard the right to development in the face of the real risks of "small yard, high fences," adding that they should adhere to mutual benefits and inclusiveness, join hands to push for scientific and technological innovation, keep industrial and supply chains stable and smooth, stimulate the internal impetus of regional economies, and work towards common development goals.

Xi urged member states to ensure security in the face of a real threat from the Cold War mentality, address complex and intertwined security challenges through dialogue and coordination, and respond to the changing international landscape with a win-win approach to build a world of lasting peace and universal security.

Noting the SCO was founded at the turn of the century when confrontations and divisions left by the Cold War had yet to be resolved, Xi said the SCO founding members made a historical decision to pursue peaceful development, commit to good neighborliness and friendship, and build a new type of international relations, adding that the "Shanghai Spirit" has become a shared value and guiding principle for the member states.

The SCO has withstood the test of the changing international landscape, the root cause of which lies in the fact that SCO members remain committed to the fine tradition of solidarity and coordination, the way of cooperation featuring equality and mutual benefit, the value pursuit of fairness and justice, and the broad-mindedness of inclusiveness and mutual learning, Xi stressed.

Xi called on the member states to stay true to the original aspiration, continue to uphold the "Shanghai Spirit," help each other on their respective paths to success, jointly maintain the development direction of the SCO, and build the organization into a reliable backbone for the common prosperity and revitalization of its member states.

(With input from Xinhua)