Successful SCO summit

It is heartening to see the 12th summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, held in Beijing on Wednesday and Thursday, has fulfilled its task of mapping out a new blueprint for the development of the six-member bloc over the next decade.

The leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have endorsed a series of documents that pave the way for closer cooperation in a wide range of fields, including security, trade, investment, finance, transportation, energy, telecommunications, agriculture, culture, education and people-to-people exchanges.

To advance regional economic development, the organization will forge ahead with the establishment of a special account and development bank. To better fulfill its role as a reliable guarantor of regional security and to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism, the SCO member states will enhance their early warning capacity and capabilities to handle emergencies.

The member states have also agreed to accept Afghanistan as an observer, and Turkey as a dialogue partner. This marks the latest development in the expansion that has been talked about for a long time.

In a move to shore up China's long-time commitments to the healthy growth of the SCO, President Hu Jintao has promised that China will offer a loan of $10 billion to support economic cooperation within the bloc. Hu also called for the member states to make joint efforts to build the SCO into a harmonious community.

As this year marks the beginning of the second decade of the SCO, the Beijing summit has charted a course for its future development, which will promote the development of its member states and peace in the region and beyond.

What the SCO has accomplished and upheld, the spirit of mutual trust, equality and consultation in particular, sets a good example for all nations that wish to live in peace and harmony.

The charter of the SCO has determined its commitment to non-alliance and non-confrontation, no targeting any third country or organization and openness to outside parties. This differentiates it from military and political platforms. Hence, it is inappropriate to liken the SCO to an "eastern NATO".

The reason the SCO has been brimming with vitality since its founding is its quest for a new and more equitable world order and its adherence to the idea of pursuing peace, promoting development and resolving disputes through cooperation. All these conform to the current trend of peace and development and contribute to the building of a multi-polar world.

(China Daily 06/08/2012 page8)