Chinese premier urges ‘deepening cooperation’ at regional summit in Pakistan

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday emphasized the need for “deepening cooperation” among Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states to promote regional peace, stability, and prosperity.

Addressing government leaders during the 23rd SCO summit in Pakistan, Li described the organization as “an important platform for maintaining regional peace and stability and promoting development and prosperity for all countries.”

Racalling Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent call to build a “common home of the SCO featuring unity and mutual trust” at the Astana Summit in July, Li said: “To build such a common home, we need a more solid political foundation, more reliable security guarantees, closer economic ties, deeper emotional connections, and more coordinated multilateral cooperation.”

Outlining his vision for enhanced SCO cooperation, Li proposed focusing on four key areas: strengthening strategic alignment, expanding practical collaboration, preparing for major risks, and increasing personnel exchanges.

“China is willing to work with all parties to implement the consensus” of the SCO heads of state, Li told the summit in Islamabad.

“In the face of a complex and turbulent international environment, all parties should actively strengthen solidarity and cooperation,” he added.

Li also called for aligning the Belt and Road Initiative with the Eurasian Economic Union and fostering deeper collaboration in fields such as trade, security, connectivity, energy, finance, poverty reduction, and green development.

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar also addressed the summit, acknowledging that the meeting comes at a “difficult time in world affairs,” with two major conflicts impacting the global landscape, referring to the Russian-Ukrainian war and Israel's brutal offensives on Gaza and Lebanon.

He highlighted the need for the SCO to bolster mutual trust and good neighborliness, which he said would enable member states to tackle challenges like climate change, supply chain disruptions, and financial volatility.

*Contributions by Ahmad Adil in New Delhi