World nowadays calls for Shanghai Spirit

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-15 11:08

YEKATERINBURG, Russia -- The changing international political and economic conditions call for a strengthening of the Shanghai Spirit, which advocates mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and coordination, respects cultural diversity and seeks common development.

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) summit here, which opens Monday, leaders of member states will seek to expand common ground and beef up measures to promote strategic cooperation and mutual trust, strengthen political, security, economic and cultural cooperation, and coordinate efforts in addressing the global financial crisis.

Past experiences have shown that the Shanghai Spirit can translate into an advantage for cooperation and provide momentum for the development of the organization, which has already grown into a positive regional force with a sound legal basis, a stable cooperation mechanism and an effective institutional framework.

The SCO, a regional organization founded in 2001, comprises China, Russia and the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

As a new organization committed to promoting peace, cooperation, openness and harmony, the SCO has provided valuable experience for international efforts to formulate a new security concept, new regional cooperation models and new international relations. It has also offered a constructive perspective on building a harmonious world that features lasting peace and common prosperity.

China, a founding member of the SCO, has contributed continuously to the growth of the organization. At its 2006 summit in Shanghai, China initiated the notion of building "a harmonious region that enjoys lasting peace and common prosperity."

This time, the complicated international political and economic scenario has rendered the Yekaterinburg summit particular importance, as new conditions need a new understanding and new problems entail new solutions.

The ongoing financial crisis might create conditions that could lead to new areas of economic cooperation, while the changing security landscape calls for a strengthened mechanism of joint endeavor.

Overall, these measures and cooperation will help deepen the strategic and political trust among the member states, a result that embodies the Shanghai Spirit.