TIANJIN, 02 September 2025 (TATOLI) — Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged full support for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to expand cooperation with multilateral institutions in an effort to enhance global and regional governance.
Speaking at the “SCO Plus” meeting in Tianjin on September 1, Xi emphasized that the organization should deepen ties with the United Nations, ASEAN, the Eurasian Economic Union, and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia. He stressed the importance of jointly upholding the international economic and trade order and safeguarding global stability.
Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations, Xi described the commemoration as a “milestone prompting us to remember the past and create a better future together.”
“History tells us that in difficult times, we must uphold our original commitment to peaceful coexistence, strengthen our confidence in win-win cooperation, advance in line with the trend of history, and thrive by keeping pace with the times,” Xi said.
He also proposed the Global Governance Initiative (GGI), calling for a more just and equitable international system and closer cooperation toward a shared future for humanity. Under the initiative, Xi outlined five priorities such as: a) Upholding sovereign equality and amplifying the voice of developing nations; b) Following international law without double standards; c) Practicing multilateralism while safeguarding the U.N.’s central role; d) Adopting a people-centered approach to narrow the North-South gap; e) Taking concrete actions to deliver tangible results
“The SCO should step up to play a leading role and set an example in carrying out the GGI,” he said, highlighting the bloc’s growing influence as a catalyst for global governance reform.
Xi emphasized that SCO members must continue to safeguard world peace and regional stability. “With a vision for common security, SCO member states have signed the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, conducted effective security cooperation, and maintained overall stability in the region,” he said.
He added that the SCO should uphold principles of non-alliance, non-confrontation, and non-targeting of any third party. “We should combine our efforts to address various threats and challenges, make full use of the newly established SCO Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats and the SCO Anti-Drug Center, and build a community of common security in the region. We should remain a force for stability in this volatile world,” Xi said.
On economic cooperation, Xi underscored the SCO’s contribution to global growth. “SCO member states possess rich energy resources, large markets, and strong internal driving forces, and we are contributing a growing share to world economic development,” he noted.
Founded on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the SCO is a permanent regional organization that promotes political, economic, and security cooperation. It evolved from the earlier “Shanghai Five” mechanism.
The SCO is not a military alliance but a regional platform guided by the “Shanghai Spirit,” which emphasizes mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse cultures, and shared development.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Rafael Ximenes de A. Belo
