A number of international analysts have expressed the belief that China will work with all parties to carry forward the Shanghai Spirit at the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin from Sunday to Monday, injecting new impetus into the stability and prosperity of the global economy.
Founded in Shanghai in 2001, the SCO has adhered to the Shanghai Spirit -- a set of principles centered on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development.
The analysts said the initiatives proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping echo the Shanghai Spirit a lot.
"I think Shanghai spirit of within, or which is the driving force for SCO, also synergizes well with the Global Civilization Initiative, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Global Security Initiative of President Xi Jinping. I think countries like Pakistan and all the neighboring countries are really benefiting from this. The partner countries within SCO, within BRI, they are really benefiting from the growth of China," said Hassan Daud Butt, senior associate professor of Pakistan's Bahria University.
"Let's remember that as President Xi Jinping said, one country cannot develop alone in today's world, whether in economy or culture. Thus, the concept of sustainable development makes sense. The development of today's world is not just based on economy, but also includes other fields, such as culture and education, so we can't be limited by national boundaries. There is no doubt that President Xi expounded the concept well," said Hassan Fartousi, secretary-general of the National Commission of Iran for UNESCO.
"The SCO summit is themed on 'Upholding the Shanghai Spirit: SCO on the Move.' We will work together to practice the Shanghai Spirit, carrying forward and developing it within the organization so as to promote economic development and world peace and stability. We are looking forward to the outcomes of the summit, especially under the current economic and political circumstances. We believe that the summit will make significant breakthroughs as China has always actively brought us surprises within the framework of the SCO," said Alexander Beda, head of the Representative Office of the Secretariat of the SCO Business Council in the Northwestern Federal District of Russia.
The analysts hope that the Tianjin summit will be oriented toward the future, further strengthening the SCO's role in uniting Global South countries and its influence on the international arena.
"This year is the first year after Belarus officially became an SCO member. For Belarus, the summit is a summary of SCO’s achievements. This year China assumes the rotating chair, and we are pleased with that. China has done a lot of work in its term, holding more than 100 events at different levels. Belarus participated in most of the events covering security, trade, economy and people-to-people exchange. All these events were striving for practical results," said Andrei Luchenok, Ambassador at Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Belarus' engagement with the SCO and BRICS.
"If we take into account all SCO members, observers and dialogue partners, the organization will cover over half of the world’s population. I think the influence of decisions and concepts formed within the framework of the SCO have transcended the region, but is having a profound effect on the global diplomatic landscape. The SCO has not only become a platform for advancing regional integration, but also played a key role in mutual learning in national governance and people-to-people exchange. Kyrgyzstan has truly felt the development dividends brought by joining this organization," said Shumkarbek Adilbek uluu, deputy director of the National Institute for Strategic Initiatives under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Int'l analysts expect SCO Tianjin summit to carry forward Shanghai Spirit
