The Bishkek Summit is expected to inject new impetus into the SCO's efforts to build on the past and open up the future, and push the SCO's cooperation in all fields to a new level.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. From the "Shanghai Five" mechanism that started with strengthening trust in border areas to today's comprehensive regional organization covering security, economy, humanities and other fields, the SCO has embarked on a unique development path. The areas of cooperation have continued to expand, its international influence has steadily increased, and the background of pragmatic cooperation has become increasingly clear.
The SCO has always adhered to the principle of non-alignment and non-targeting of other countries and international organizations. It is an important supporting force in the world's multi-polarization process and an important platform for countries in the global South to coordinate interests and deepen cooperation. Although the SCO member states have different political systems, development levels, and cultural traditions, they have been able to maintain stable collaboration over the past 25 years and always adhere to the principles of mutual respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. This is the value of the "Shanghai Spirit".
The SCO Tianjin Summit to be held in 2025 is an important milestone in the development process of the SCO. The summit approved the "SCO Development Strategy for the Next 10 Years (2026-2035)" and made a series of arrangements around the construction of security mechanisms, the SCO Development Bank, and international cooperation in artificial intelligence. It clarified the long-term development direction, marking that the SCO is entering a new stage in which both mechanism construction and project implementation are emphasized. The SCO Bishkek Summit will promote the transformation of more Tianjin Summit consensus into practical cooperation results.
Consolidate the foundation of security cooperation and safeguard the bottom line of regional stability. The SCO continues to improve relevant cooperation mechanisms, promote the transformation of cooperation models from temporary coordination to institutionalized and preventive cooperation, and build a solid institutional guarantee for regional peace and stability. SCO member states continue to deepen connectivity and smooth regional communication networks. As an important transportation hub in Eurasia, Kazakhstan has continued to increase investment in transportation and transit infrastructure in recent years, striving to unleash its location advantages under the SCO framework. Key projects such as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway are advancing steadily, coupled with practical measures such as logistics digitization and customs facilitation, which will continue to release the development dividends of regional linkage.
SCO member states have broad space for cooperation in transportation, energy, green development, digital technology and other fields. Digital technology can connect multiple fields such as energy, transportation, finance, and education, expand growth space for the SCO multilateral cooperation, and cultivate cooperation momentum. Kazakhstan has designated 2026 as the "Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence" and is accelerating the improvement of institutional rules and infrastructure in related fields to lay a solid foundation for the SCO to expand practical digital cooperation.
China is a founding member of the SCO and an important engine of regional economic cooperation. It has always played a key role in the development of the SCO. As one of Kazakhstan's most important economic and trade partners, Kazakhstan-China cooperation has maintained a good momentum of stability and equality for a long time. The areas of cooperation are expanding from traditional fields to artificial intelligence, green energy, processing and manufacturing, digital infrastructure and other directions. For Kazakhstan, promoting bilateral cooperation to deepen in a sustainable direction will not only expand the scale of trade, but also create more local jobs, promote the localization of industries, and increase the added value of industries. This is also a vivid manifestation of the implementation of the SCO cooperation concept at the bilateral level.
The 25th anniversary of the establishment of the SCO is an important node for inheriting the past and opening up the future. Looking to the future, we expect all member states to further pool their efforts and transform consensus into executable, guaranteed and implementable cooperation results. The Bishkek Summit is expected to inject new impetus into this process and push SCO cooperation in all fields to a new level.
(The author is Kazbek Megeldinov, Chairman of the Kazakhstan Association for Chinese Studies)
Source: People's Daily
