The Shanghai Cooperation Organization is putting on cultural performances in Beijing this week ahead of the SCO Summit, set to take place next month in China's eastern coastal city of Qingdao. The event is being attended by high level officials from member countries, who have come to both showcase their unique customs, and celebrate diversity. CGTN's Ren Xueqian has more.

Hosted by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the 2018 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Cultural Festival officially commenced in Beijing on Wednesday. The three-day event comes before the SCO Summit due to take place in June, and it includes folk performances and art exhibits from member countries to highlight diversity and unity.

MUHAMMAD IRFAN DEPUTY DIRECTOR PAKISTANI MINISTRY OF INFORMATION, BROADCASTING & NATIONAL HERITAGE "Unless people come together, anything is not that easy and these activities especially the arts, music and these festivals are helpful in bringing people together to get to know each other more and more about the culture, the values, their traditions and all that."

ERMEK MUKAMBETOV KYRGYZSTAN CONCERT COMPANY DIRECTOR "Art knows no boundaries, it's a language that speaks to all. Our music and artwork can easily find common ground with other countries through our joint performances."

Wednesday's folk concert opened with a joint performance of the Chinese folk song "Jubilant", best known for its cheerful rhythm and incorporation of the "Erhu", a two-stringed bowed traditional Chinese instrument. Music ensembles from Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and China also performed separately to showcase their unique traditions and culture. The musicians closed the show with another joint performance of the famous Russian folk song "Kalinka", a popular tune that has often featured in various Russian films and TV shows.

LI JINSHENG CHINA ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT GROUP PRESIDENT "This year marks the 5th anniversary of China's Belt & Road Initiative, and all members of the SCO are also member countries along the BRI, so the goal of this event is to really showcase the unique bond between SCO members and to strengthen that bond through cultural exchanges as we collectively welcome the SCO Summit."

In addition to the countries that participated in the music concert, Pakistan and Kazakhstan will join other SCO members in a dance performance at the Beijing Dance Academy on June 1st.

REN XUEQIAN BEIJING "And with these countries here performing side by side, celebrating each other's cultures as if they were their own, this is just one of the many ways the SCO is hoping to further integrate the bloc, and ensure that 'coexistence' isn't just a casual buzzword, but it can bring that extra sense of security and hope during these times of global uncertainty. RXQ, CGTN, BJ."