Members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) must continue to reflect on the group's founding principles to iron out internal disputes and external pressures, said a Chinese expert.
Since its establishment in 2001, the SCO has held a grand summit annually, with the 25th summit set to be held in east China's Tianjin Municipality from Aug 31 to Sep 1. The meetings have consistently underscored the importance of the "Shanghai Spirit" of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and pursuit of common development
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) ahead of the summit, Rong Ying, a senior research fellow of the China Institute of International Studies, stressed that the ten member states, as well as observer states, continue to deal with the same questions of mutual development and security that faced the Shanghai Five -- the group that preceded the SCO.
"When the Shanghai Cooperation (Organization) was launched, the very rationale or the purpose is to find a different way to address the questions or the problems that are dividing us. We are talking about the Shanghai Five, the territorial disputes, and so on and so forth, and hoped that with the agreement or consensus on that, these countries can work together as a group to find a way to address the common challenge, at that time, development," said Rong.
He emphasized that amid growing uncertainties fueled by the Trump administration's proposed tariffs and its volatile trade policies, SCO members must return to the core values that underpin the organization in order to navigate these challenges.
"I think 20 years and more later, these questions, the challenges will remain. But it seems that what we have now is this debatable sort of thinking, how to understand, or most important, how we can manage these differences, either because of the tension of the bilateral disputes within the region, within the members, and also the impact raised by, created by the outside, the United States in particular. So, I would argue that first and foremost, let us go back to the original purpose. Trust, mutual benefit, cooperation are the most important thing," he said.
The SCO Tianjin summit will bring together leaders from over 20 countries and representatives of 10 international organizations for a series of high-level events.
Revisiting SCO’s original vision crucial to withstand mounting pressures: expert
Revisiting SCO’s original vision crucial to withstand mounting pressures: expert
