On July 4, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) further widened its reach by officially admitting Belarus as an official member during the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said during the summit that the SCO has become one of the most authoritative international organizations. He said that given the uniqueness and enormous potential of the SCO, interest from other countries in joining the organization is steadily growing.

CGTN Stringer took to the streets of Belarus to get people's impressions of China and their expectations for future cooperation now that Belarus has become a member of SCO. Yuri Senko, former ambassador of the Republic of Belarus to China, is optimistic about the opportunities it will bring. He believes that the SCO membership will open doors for trade, economic cooperation, science, education, culture and safety, particularly in the fight against terrorism.