Bishkek summit injects fresh impetus into high-quality development of SCO

Editor's Note: Zhao Huirong is a research fellow and director at the Institute of Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia within the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, on Tuesday, marking a milestone as the organization celebrates its 25th anniversary.

The leaders of member states signed and issued the Bishkek Declaration on the 25th Anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, setting the stage for the organization's next phase of development.

They also agreed to implement the decisions made at the Tianjin summit in 2025, advanced the implementation of the SCO Development Strategy until 2035, approved the protocol on amendments and additions to the SCO Charter, and adopted 28 outcome documents covering areas such as security, economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and organizational development, which injects new momentum into the SCO's pursuit of higher-quality development.

In advancing the SCO's development, China has been an architect and a driving force, helping chart the organization's future course.

China is committed to designating the organization as a priority for high-quality implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative. China will also take corresponding measures to enhance the organization's action capabilities and influence, and make greater contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech on Tuesday titled Toward Higher-Quality Development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. 

In his speech, Xi put forward a four-point proposal at the summit, calling on the SCO to stay committed to putting development and the people first, taking security as a key goal, and promoting dialogue and consultation.

Practical development cooperation is an important bond that maintains the unity of the SCO. The member states of the SCO have strong complementarity in terms of resource endowment and industrial structure, and their economic and trade cooperation is highly dynamic.

In 2025, the total trade volume between China and other SCO member states reached $523.5 billion, according to China's Ministry of Commerce. The summit emphasized that it will continue to deepen cooperation in areas such as economy and trade, investment, science and technology, energy, finance and connectivity, maintain the stability of the regional industrial and supply chain, and promote the sustainable development of all countries.

All parties unanimously agreed to adapt to global industrial and technological changes, expand cooperation in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, the digital economy, green industries, and green minerals, continuously cultivate new growth drivers for regional cooperation, and open up new growth spaces for regional economic transformation.

The summit confirmed that the SCO Development Bank has made substantive progress and is expected to fill gaps in regional multilateral financing and support the implementation of key cooperation projects. All member states also unanimously expressed their intention to develop mutually beneficial industrial partnerships, promote standardization cooperation, facilitate the establishment of connections between national standardization institutions and reduce barriers to cross-border cooperation.

Security cooperation is the core driver for the establishment of the SCO and an important guarantee for regional stability. Currently, the geopolitical environment in the region where the SCO is located is becoming increasingly complex, with traditional and non-traditional security risks intertwined, placing greater demands on regional governance.

One of the key outcomes of the summit was the implementation of the security cooperation consensus reached at the Tianjin summit and the improvement of the security cooperation institutional framework through the adoption of the regulations on the SCO Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats and the Executive Committee of the SCO Anti-Drug Center.

Under these regulations, the comprehensive center has established specialized institutions for the information security center and combating transnational organized crime.

The SCO will rely on these newly adopted specialized regulations to promote the operationalization of each security center and extend cooperation from traditional counter-terrorism and stability maintenance to the coordinated handling of various new risks, strengthening the regional common security governance capacity.

In addition, all member states reaffirmed their opposition to interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states and insisted on resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, jointly safeguarding regional peace and stability.

Mutual learning among civilizations strengthens the popular support for multilateral cooperation. The SCO brings together diverse civilizations. The development paths of each country are different, and inclusiveness and mutual learning have long been distinct features of the organization's development.

The summit emphasized that it will continue to advocate dialogue among civilizations, promote cultural exchanges, facilitate cooperation in fields such as education, research and healthcare, strengthen youth exchanges and hold international cultural events and sports competitions. The summit determined that Lahore, Pakistan, will be the Tourism and Cultural Capital of the SCO for the 2026-2027 term, establishing a new platform for cultural and tourism collaboration and enriching the practical carriers of people-to-people exchanges.

At the global governance level, the SCO adheres to true multilateralism, and its international influence has been steadily growing. In a complex international environment marked by rising unilateralism and bloc confrontation, the SCO remains firmly committed to the universal norms and principles of international law established in the UN Charter.

It advocates reforming and improving the global governance system, including establishing relevant norms and rules, ensuring all countries participate in decision-making on an equal footing and share the benefits of development, while opposing unilateral coercive measures. Through the SCO Plus open cooperation framework, the SCO is dedicated to building a broad and inclusive global partnership and enhancing multilateral coordination among the Global South.

Overall, the Bishkek summit demonstrated significant progress in the construction of the organizational mechanism, further highlighting the organization's pragmatism and growing appeal. At the same time, the SCO's development still faces practical constraints.

Member states are at different stages of development, with varying interests and demands, persistent regional geopolitical disturbances and overlapping risks, all of which place greater demands on the organization's collaborative capabilities.

Standing at the historical juncture of the organization's 25th anniversary and amid a complex, evolving geopolitical landscape and increasingly diverse demands from member states, all member states should be guided by the "Shanghai Spirit."

Member states should translate the Bishkek summit's institutional achievements into effective governance to solve practical problems, deepen economic integration, make security cooperation more precise and strengthen people-to-people ties, letting true multilateralism breathe new life into regional practice.

These efforts will help build a community with a shared future for the SCO, giving it greater depth and stability, and the SCO's strength will also play a positive role in boosting the long-term stability and common prosperity of the Eurasian continent.