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The 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) concluded with the adoption of the Astana Declaration, the SCO initiative on world unity for justice, harmony and development, and a statement on the principles of good-neighborliness, trust and partnership on Thursday. The meeting also approved 25 strategic documents covering energy, security, trade, finance, and information security.

Since its establishment in 2001, the SCO's role in bolstering global peace, security, and stability has been widely recognized. This is why the organization has seen its family, including observer states and dialogue partners, expand to 26 countries in three continents in the past 23 years.

Against the backdrop of an international situation fraught with turbulence and changes, an increasing number of countries have voiced their wish to join the group. Belarus, for instance, officially gained SCO member status during Thursday's summit, becoming its 10th member state. As Chinese President Xi Jinping put it, with more partners, the foundation of cooperation is more solid.

Xi also appealed for enhanced unity and strength inside the grouping. SCO members should jointly resist external interference, firmly support each other, accommodate each other's concerns, and peacefully resolve internal differences, he said.

This is well demonstrated by China's interactions with SCO member states. In their meeting on Wednesday, Xi stressed that Beijing supports Moscow in fulfilling responsibilities as BRICS chair and uniting the Global South countries, and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin pledged Russia's opposition to external interference in China's internal affairs and the South China Sea.

China has also voiced support for Kazakhstan in joining global multilateral frameworks, playing the role of a "middle power" on the international stage and making its due contribution to global governance.

In addition, Xi pledged at the expanded SCO meeting that China will provide at least 1,000 training opportunities on digital technology to fellow countries in the group in the next three years, and host 1,000 young people for exchange activities in the next five years. He also welcomed all parties to use the Chinese BeiDou Satellite Navigation System and participate in the development of the International Lunar Research Station.

These endeavors showcase the SCO's contributions and commitments to eliminating the deficits in peace, development, security and governance. "The SCO has established itself as a unique platform where the interests and arguments of the member states are equally taken into account," Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during Thursday's summit.

As the world's largest regional organization in terms of geographical scale and population, the SCO was established based on the Shanghai Spirit, which is defined by mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development. After 23 years of development, it has remained true to its original aspiration, and this explains why it has been able to withstand the tests of changing international dynamics.

As Xi noted, real security is premised on the security of all countries. Against this backdrop, the Shanghai Spirit has breathed new vitality into the SCO, making it a common home featuring solidarity and mutual trust, peace and tranquility, prosperity and development, good-neighborliness and friendship, as well as fairness and justice.

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