The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, or SCO, was established by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in 2001. It now has eight member states, covering two-fifths of the world population and a quarter of global GDP. So what are the SCO's key milestones? Li Linxi runs us through them.

The SCO is often viewed as a regional security grouping, due to its contributions in fighting against terrorism, separatism and extremism.

It has a permanent anti-terrorism body in the Uzbek capital Tashkent and has been holding regular anti-terrorism exercises every year.

At the 17th annual summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana this year, the group passed a treaty on anti-extremism, an idea proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2014.

GUAN GUIHAI, ASSOCIATE DEAN SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, PEKING UNIVERSITY "All member states of the SCO have deeply sensed the danger of online extremism. That's why they agreed to facilitate coordination between countries in this regard by establishing laws."

The stability of a region is closely linked to its economy. Bilateral trade between China and SCO member states hit $93 bn last year compared to 12 bn in 2001. SCO Secretary-General, Rashid Alimov, says the improvement in connectivity between member countries contributed to the significant growth.

RASHID ALIMOV SCO SECRETARY-GENERAL "We have built many high roads, railways and bridges, flights between member countries increased by a large margin. For example, passenger flow from Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Uzbekistan to China has quadrupled compared to 16 years ago. And the number of people who visited China from Tajikistan increased 8-fold while those traveling from Kazakhstan to China surged by 12 times. These figures are quite considerable."

Areas of trade cooperation have also expanded from energy capability to electro-mechanics, high technologies and agriculture.

In 2016, SCO member states included the implementation of the Silk Road Economic Belt into the declaration of its annual summit, with the hope that the initiative proposed by China would further enhance connectivity and expand trade in the region.

Another milestone for the SCO is the inclusion of India and Pakistan into the grouping this year -- the first time the organization has added members since its founding.

SUDHEENDRA KULKARNI HEAD, OBSERVER RESEARCH FOUNDATION "In today's inter-connected and inter-dependent world, problem anywhere, is a problem everywhere. And that's why the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will become even more important in the years to come."

Kulkarni says the SCO will work as a factor of stability and as a platform for promoting peace and economic cooperation. Li Linxi, CGTN.