Cooperation more vital than ever, diplomat says

A spirit of multilateralism advanced at the heads of state summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is timely as the world undergoes profound changes arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui said.

As a regional cooperation organization that covers more territory than any other, and with the greatest number of people, the SCO has withstood tests in the face of a complex international situation, achieved enormous development for member countries, and enhanced the grouping's influence in the world, Zhang said.

The diplomat made the remarks in an interview with Chinese media during the 20th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO. The video conference was hosted on Tuesday by Russia as this year's holder of the rotating SCO presidency.

On Monday, the SCO released a blue book, which highlights the importance of cooperation among the grouping's members.

The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of efforts to build the SCO community with a shared future to safeguard regional peace and stability, the blue book said.

President Xi Jinping on Tuesday offered China's approach to strengthening the SCO. He stressed the trend toward peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, and called for real action among members to practice multilateralism, improve global governance and safeguard the international order.

The Chinese ambassador said the "Shanghai Spirit" championed by Xi, which features mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and pursuit of common development, is conducive to building a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind.

"In recent years, cooperation among SCO member countries in the three pillar sectors－security, economy and humanity－has been gaining speed, while cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative has been growing substantively."

This year, the SCO members have helped each other during the pandemic, and the virus could not stop cooperation among them, he said.

Four-point proposal

Zhang made a four-point proposal for the SCO to deal with risks and challenges more effectively, build a closer community with a shared future and contribute more to global stability and development.

First, the SCO countries should beef up cooperation in public health governance, infectious disease information-sharing, drug and vaccine development, biosecurity and traditional medicines.

Second, the members should further cement political mutual trust, firmly support each other's core interests, and enhance security cooperation. The importance of this is evident with the threat from the "three forces"－terrorism, separatism and extremism.

Third, the SCO members should continue to facilitate trade and investment, raise the level of interconnectivity, speed up Belt and Road cooperation and dovetail their development strategies, Zhang said.

Finally, the members should strengthen coordination on multilateral issues, jointly work with other regional and global organizations, oppose bullying and selfishness, categorically uphold multilateralism and push for the establishment of a fairer and more reasonable regional and international governance system.