(International Observation) What kind of "report card" has the Shanghai Cooperation Organization handed over in the past 20 years?
China News Service, Beijing, September 18th, title: What kind of "transcripts" has the Shanghai Cooperation Organization handed over in the past 20 years?
China News Agency reporter Ma Jiajia
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (hereinafter referred to as "Shanghai Cooperation Organization").
Over the past 20 years, the regional organization has upheld the "Shanghai Spirit" and used practical actions to interpret the connotations of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and seeking common development. Over the past 20 years, the regional organization has promoted practical cooperation and achieved world-renowned development. Achievement: Over the past 20 years, the regional organization has continued to expand, and the SCO family has shown strong appeal and influence.
As the most extensive and potential regional cooperation organization in Eurasia, the SCO will meet opportunities and challenges and make unique contributions to regional stability and development.
In the 20 years since its establishment, the SCO has achieved remarkable results in promoting mutual political trust, safeguarding security and stability, seeking prosperity and development, and sharing international morality.
Li Ziguo, director of the Institute of Eurasia of the China Institute of International Studies, pointed out to the reporters of China News Agency that the 20-year "transcript" of Shanghai Cooperation was sorted out:
First, the level of mutual trust in politics and security has reached a new height.
In this regard, Li Ziguo explained that one of the standards for new heights is that the SCO has established the "Shanghai Spirit" since its inception, which has also become the "gene" of the SCO and runs through it throughout.
The second is to resolve border issues left over from history and enhance the unity of all countries.
The third is the successive signing of the "Agreement on Strengthening Mutual Trust in the Military Field in the Border Area" and the "Agreement on the Mutual Reduction of Military Forces in the Border Area", establishing the correct path of conspiracy for security.
Fourth, the signing of the "SCO Member States Treaty on Long-term Good-neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation" has laid a legal foundation for political mutual trust and good-neighborly friendship.
The second is to maintain regional security and stability.
The SCO region itself is a "troubled place", and today's world is still in a "troubled autumn."
In the past 20 years, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has made important contributions to combating the "three forces", effectively maintaining regional security and stability.
Not only that, in addition to implementing "counter-terrorism" into legal documents, the SCO also regularly conducts actual combat exercises, combining mechanisms with actual operations, greatly reducing the channels and space for terrorists to move through.
Third, promote regional economic and trade interaction.
At the beginning of its establishment, the SCO signed the "Outline of Member States' Multilateral Economic and Trade Cooperation," which laid a legal foundation for countries in the region to deepen economic and trade cooperation.
According to World Bank statistics, the total GDP of the SCO countries in 2020 will reach 19.3 trillion U.S. dollars, an increase of 11 times compared with the beginning of its establishment; the trade volume of member countries reached 6.1 trillion U.S. dollars, an increase of 8.8 times compared with its establishment.
At present, the level of trade facilitation between China and other member states has been greatly improved, transportation and logistics are convenient, and the China-Europe Express has become an important link between countries.
E-commerce, distance education, medical and health services have become new growth points.
Fourth, cultural exchanges in the Reluo area.
In the humanities field, the SCO has formed nearly 10 ministerial-level meeting mechanisms.
The areas of cooperation have gradually extended from the initial science and technology, culture, and education to health, sports, tourism, environmental protection, women, youth, media, and poverty reduction.
The level of awareness of each other's countries has been improved.
In addition, through the holding of a series of cultural exchange activities, the awareness of the "Shanghai Cooperation Big Family" has been significantly enhanced.
Fifth, the international influence has been greatly improved.
Today, the SCO has become the regional organization with the widest coverage and the most population, with a geographical area of 34 million square kilometers, accounting for about three-fifths of the world, and more than half of the population.
The SCO maintains an objective and fair position on international and regional hotspot issues, and has close ties with the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Eurasian Economic Union, AsiaInfo, and ASEAN.
Based on the current situation, in the context of the global pandemic of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the complex changes in the international landscape have brought new challenges to multilateral cooperation, and the development of the SCO is also facing new difficulties.
Li Ziguo analyzed to reporters that, first of all, from the perspective of international order, the world is facing major changes unseen in a century. The United States' anxiety about losing its hegemony has risen sharply, and its extreme suppression and sanctions against the two major powers of China and Russia have increased.
Secondly, judging from the regional situation, terrorism is still raging.
The United States left a mess after the rapid withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan. As winter approaches, there may be a humanitarian crisis and a flood of refugees in Afghanistan.
If the interim Taliban government fails to make a smooth transition, the region will face the risk of rapid deterioration, and Afghanistan may become a hotbed for the development of terrorist organizations.
Third, from the economic situation and the development of the epidemic, although the economies of various countries have shown signs of recovery, they are still affected by many uncertain factors.
The current global epidemic has not been completely contained, economic and trade personnel exchanges have been continuously affected, and economic growth momentum is insufficient.
The SCO, which has gone through 20 years, is now at the starting point of the third decade of development. Opportunities and challenges coexist. At present, at the critical stage of reshaping the global and regional governance system, the SCO should continue to abide by the "Shanghai Spirit", participate in and handle regional and international affairs with a broader perspective, and actively build solidarity, cooperation, openness, win-win, inclusiveness and mutual cooperation. In view of the new type of international relations, it has made a unique contribution to regional stability and development. (over)