Speech by H.E. Li Keqiang at the 17th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

First, we need to deepen security cooperation to provide a reliable underpinning for common development. The security issues facing regional countries are often intertwined and go beyond national borders. They pose severe risks to economic and social development of all countries and thus require a joint response.

SCO member states should embrace a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, step up coordination and cooperation on security issues, and enhance capabilities for law enforcement and security operations. We need to earnestly implement the cooperation program for combating terrorism, separatism and extremism, expand intelligence and information exchanges, and continue to carry out joint exercises on counter-terrorism. We need to build on the momentum of the signing of the SCO Anti-drug Strategy at the Qingdao Summit to intensify the fight against drug planting, processing and trafficking, and strive to cut off funding for terrorist organizations.

We need to deepen cooperation on cybersecurity and continue to crack down on the spread of extremist ideology by extremist forces via the internet and ICT tools. China will complete domestic procedures for the SCO Convention on Countering Extremism to create conditions for its early entry into force.

We need to follow through on the consensus concerning joint security support for major projects and adopt robust measures to ensure personnel and property safety of the institutions and companies of all SCO members. We need to continue to support the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group and actively contribute SCO’s wisdom to the political resolution of the Afghan issue.

Second, we need to strengthen multilateral economic cooperation and trade to unleash the huge potential of common development. In the context of setbacks in economic globalization and backlash against the multilateral trading regime, SCO members are encountering new challenges in economic development. Past experience shows that development cannot be achieved behind closed doors, and opening up is the right way forward.

In recent years, trade between China and other SCO members and among other members themselves has kept growing, making everyone a beneficiary of free trade and regional cooperation. We need to firmly support free trade and the rules-based multilateral trading regime and further advance trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. We also need to take solid steps to implement the Program of Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation, launch feasibility studies on an SCO FTA, and develop institutional arrangements for closer regional economic cooperation. The Chinese side hereby proposes negotiations on an SCO framework on trade in services and the establishment of an industrial and commercial alliance for e-commerce to further invigorate regional trade and economic cooperation.