Xi's vision of global governance can steer int'l relations in right direction: experts

Chinese President Xi Jinping's key speech at the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan has resonated with international observers, who say his vision of global governance can help steer international relations on the right track at a time fraught with geopolitical challenges and economic uncertainties.

The two-day summit wrapped up in the Kyrgyz capital on Tuesday after bringing together leaders from more than 20 countries and other international organizations, and came as this year significantly marked the milestone 25th anniversary of the SCO's founding.

Since its establishment in 2001, the organization has grown from its original core membership comprising China, Russia and four Central Asian countries, to now include 10 member states, two observer countries, and 15 dialogue partners.

During the 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the "SCO Plus" meeting on Tuesday, President Xi put forward a four-point proposal, calling on the SCO to stay committed to putting development and people first, taking security as a key goal, and promoting dialogue and consultation.

International analysts and political figures gave their assessment of China's pivotal role within the bloc.

"China plays a pivotal role in the SCO and its significance keeps growing amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and global economic instability," said Amangeldy Tazhenov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Foreign Policy Research Institute under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Meanwhile, others highlighted the importance of the Global Governance Initiative, which was first put forward by President Xi at the SCO Summit in north China's Tianjin last year and which seeks to build a more just and equitable multilateral world order.

"The Global Governance Initiative proposed by the Chinese President is of great significance. International relations are currently mired in a deep crisis and this initiative represents a potent attempt to resolve it. First, the initiative aims to further unite the vast number of developing countries and promote the establishment of a new world order based on fairness and justice that accommodates the interests of all parties. Therefore, the global governance initiative proposed by the Chinese President is timely, holds broad prospects, and can provide strong support for steering international relations toward positive development," said Sergei Rachkov, Chairman of the Standing Commission on International Affairs of the House of Representatives of Belarus.

International observers also stated that by actively advocating multilateral cooperation, China has promoted dialogue and consensus-building among nations, thereby injecting more positive energy into a currently turbulent world.

"President Xi Jinping's initiatives of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and also the Global Governance Initiative, strongly relate to the mandate and the values of the Shanghai security cooperation organization [the SCO]," said Sizo Nkala, a research fellow of Center for Africa-China Studies under University of Johannesburg.

Given the expanding influence of the SCO, many observers worldwide say they were keeping a keen eye on proceedings in Bishkek, which also saw United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in attendance.

"We look forward to positive outcomes from the SCO summit and continued progress in advancing China's Global Governance Initiative. Upholding openness and inclusiveness, the initiative emphasizes the practice of genuine multilateralism, and safeguards the authority and status of the United Nations," said Janusz Piechocinski, former deputy prime minister of Poland.

Xi's vision of global governance can steer int'l relations in right direction: experts

International scholars and analysts have underscored the growing global significance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which just concluded its annual summit in Kyrgyzstan's Bishkek, highlighting the central role China plays within the bloc to deepen cooperation on development, security, technology and people-to-people exchanges.

The two-day summit wrapped up in the Kyrgyz capital on Tuesday after bringing together leaders from more than 20 countries and other international organizations, and came as this year significantly marked the milestone 25th anniversary of the SCO's founding.

At the meeting, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the SCO to put development and people first, strengthen common security, deepen people-to-people ties, and promote dialogue and consultation to advance more equitable global governance.

During last year's SCO Summit in north China's Tianjin, Xi first proposed the Global Governance Initiative, which seeks to build a more just and equitable multilateral world order, and global observers say this initiative can become a key guideline for the SCO and beyond.

"One of the advantages of SCO is its steady progress. It's about comprehensive, sustainable economic and social progress of member states. I think it is also very important that President Xi Jinping mentioned the global importance of SCO. It is something that resonates with the four strategic initiatives that President Xi Jinping announced some time ago," said Andrey Kortunov, a Russian foreign policy expert with the Moscow-based Valdai Discussion Club, an international affairs forum.

Since its establishment in 2001, the SCO has grown from its original core membership comprising China, Russia and four Central Asian countries, to now include 10 member states, two observers countries, and 15 dialogue partners. In Bishkek, the main heads-of-state summit was followed by an "SCO Plus" meeting focused on strengthening the role of the United Nations and building a multipolar world.

One Pakistani analyst noted the expanded membership of the SCO group now accounts for around half of the world's population and also stressed China's action-oriented role in pushing forward deliverable outcomes.

"When you look at the summit happening, you see that nearly half of the world is sitting in Bishkek. Representation is there. China is a practical oriented country, it's fostering forward, it is not a talk shop. It is also focusing on how it is important that whatever commitment is made should be translated [into action]," said Farhat Asif, founder and president of the Islamabad-based Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies, a think-and-do tank focused on diplomacy, peace and security.

In a key speech in at the Bishkek summit, Xi said China will jointly implement 100 technological cooperation projects with SCO countries over the next three years. It will also develop an international cooperation center on AI applications, a China-SCO port economy cooperation center in Tianjin, and a China-SCO basic education cooperation center, he added.

These outcomes drew attention in Egypt, where President Xi has now traveled to pay a state visit following the conclusion of the SCO Summit in Kyrgyzstan.

"China has adopted a new approach based on cooperation in science and technology. It goes beyond technology transfer to promote and consolidate cooperation through a number of projects. This represents a major qualitative leap, or an ambitious program, for the SCO in the coming period. The proposal that was put forward by the Chinese president has made governance an important pillar for cooperation and for safeguarding the interests of the people," said Egyptian journalist Mohamed Amin, editor-in-chief of October Magazine, a Cairo-based weekly political magazine.

Int'l experts highlight expanding global role of SCO after Bishkek summit