SCO enjoys rising international status

Withstanding various tests and challenges during the past 10 years, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has started to enjoy thriving cooperation and rising international status, said Chinese ambassador to Russia Li Hui. China will go on making joint efforts with other SCO members to contribute more to regional and world peace and development, Li said in an interview with Xinhua on the eve of the 10th SCO prime ministers meeting, which will begin on Sunday in St. Petersburg, Russia. Li believes the SCO has become an indispensable constructive regional force, which has gained rich experience in maintaining regional security and stability, promoting prosperity in member states, and developing international relations. He noted that more and more countries want to enhance their relations with the SCO and a growing number of international organizations hope to establish ties with it. The SCO, founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001, groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Currently, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan are SCO observer states while Sri Lanka and Belarus are dialogue partners. Li said the practical cooperation among SCO member states has seen progress and important achievements, including the improvement of SCO legal basis and cooperation mechanism, the launch of several big-scale regional economic and technical joint projects. With the gradual deepening of economic cooperation, he added, SCO member countries would benefit more from the cohesion, which should be further strengthened and help the members to stand future global economic changes. Li also noted that the SCO members, facing profound changes in the regional and global landscape, should continue to uphold the Shanghai Spirit and boost cooperation in various fields. The ambassador said the Chinese government will continue to firmly promote political, security, trade and cultural exchanges within the SCO framework."China and other SCO members withstood tests of complex circumstances. During the cooperation we always insist equal consultation, mutual benefit and win-win principle," Li said. He pointed out that SCO members have been top targets for China's foreign investment projects. That's as the trade volume between China and other SCO states has soared from 12 billion U.S. dollars to 90 billion for the past decade. Meanwhile, China has promised to offer 12-billion-dollar preferential loans and has organized investment trips to other SCO countries, signing deals worth over 8 billion dollars. China has proposed to enhance regional cooperation in energy, transportation, electricity, telecommunications and infrastructure, Li said. This year marks the 10th anniversary of SCO's establishment. Chinese President Hu Jintao attended the Astana summit in June and outlined priorities for SCO's development over the next decade. During the upcoming St. Petersburg SCO meeting, Li said, all sides would consider a number of major topics including promotion of intra-SCO economic cooperation, and a boosting of the regional economy. China believes that the six-member group should take more active measures to facilitate regional trade and investment and improve cooperation in non-resource areas. The group, Li said, also should push forward the realization of infrastructure interoperability, as well as speed up the diversification of financing channels. Finally, Li said Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Russia will also strengthen China-Russia ties within the SCO framework and inject new impetus to regional stability and development.