SCO helps boost digital progress

The achievements of Shanghai Cooperation Organization member countries in digital infrastructure, collaborative digital industry development and the integration of digital technology with the real economy were highlighted on Thursday in Karamay, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Officials, scholars and business representatives gathered in the city for the two-day 2026 China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Digital Technology Cooperation and Development Forum — the fourth edition of the event.

At the opening ceremony, Zhong Zhihong, chief engineer of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, stressed the importance of strengthening SCO cooperation in digital and information communication.

She expressed hope for creating synergies and promoting complementary strengths to advance digital technology cooperation among SCO countries, and injecting strong momentum into building an even closer SCO community with a shared future.

T.R. Midhun, SCO deputy secretary-general, said digital cooperation within the organization has entered a critical phase that demands substantial breakthroughs. He urged that more emphasis be placed on converting ideas into tangible results.

During the forum, the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Big Data Cooperation Center released the 2026 version of its digital toolkit, which integrates digital infrastructure, digital technology solutions and digital empowerment applications, and aims to provide SCO members with replicable and scalable models for action.

The event also noted that the "Tree of SCO" program — which provides digital capacity building and industry empowerment training for SCO and Central Asian countries — had recorded 1,000 training attendees since the center's establishment in May 2023.

Over the past three years, Symbat Ramazanov, an entrepreneur and adviser on international cooperation to the government of the East Kazakhstan region of Kazakhstan, has made 10 visits to Karamay. These included organizing delegations from his region to attend the program, during which participants discussed efficient practices and undertook excursions to relevant organizations and enterprises.

"China has demonstrated significant advantages in digital transformation. Technology companies in my region have signed a series of memorandums of understanding with Chinese peer firms in fields including healthcare, education and tourism. Collaboration with China has yielded tangible projects that are executed swiftly, and innovations are effectively and flexibly prepared for introduction," he said.