Pakistani minister calls for SCO-led dialogue to resolve regional conflicts

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) offers a platform for the peaceful resolution of regional conflicts, said Pakistan's Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.

In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Minister Ahsan Iqbal said regional and global challenges require dialogue, not war.

"I think one very important lesson of our times is that these challenges that we are discussing are now cross-border challenges. They are global challenges. They are regional challenges. No single country can fight them on its own. So the solution to most of these problems is more collaboration. Solution to conflicts is not fighting wars. It is through engagement, through dialogue. Every conflict can be solved by dialogue," said Iqbal.

"If we pick up arms, if we promote conflicts that will eventually threaten the whole world because we have seen that conflicts while they take place in one region can impact the whole of the world by disrupting either value chains or disrupting supply chains or disrupting peace," the minister warned.

Iqbal said he believes the SCO's security mechanism can play a role in addressing conflict.

"Therefore, under the SCO, we do hope that the regional conflicts can be solved through dialogue, through greater support by SCO member countries to bring conflicting parties on table. So I think maybe SCO can play a role in bringing about de-escalation in different parts of the world through promoting dialogue through its platform," he said. China is set to play host to the biggest ever edition of the SCO Summit, which is scheduled for August 31 to September 1 in the northern port city of Tianjin, bringing together leaders from over 20 countries and representatives from 10 international organizations for a series of high-level events.

The SCO, established in 2001 in Shanghai by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, has expanded from a regional organization into a trans-regional organization with 10 full members, two observer countries, and 14 dialogue partners, covering over 60 percent of the Eurasian landmass and nearly half of the world's population.

The Eastern Theater Command of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) announced on Wednesday that it has successfully completed "Justice Mission 2025" drills.

Through the drills, the theater command fully tested the integrated joint operations capabilities of its troops, said Li Xi, spokesperson for the theater command.

The troops of the theater command will keep strengthening combat readiness with arduous training, resolutely thwart the attempts of secessionists in Taiwan and external intervention, and firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said.

The exercises, which started on Monday, involved Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force units operating in the Taiwan Strait and waters to the north, southwest, southeast, and east of Taiwan Island.