Promoting the "Shanghai Spirit" and Promoting Friendly Cooperation among the People | Shanghai Cooperation Organization | Shanghai
On the coast of the Yellow Sea in June, flowers and trees are verdant and the sky is blue and water is green. A few days ago, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Non-governmental Friendship Forum and Friendship City Forum, jointly organized by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Good-neighborly and Friendly Cooperation Committee, the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and the Shandong Provincial Government, was held in Qingdao, Shandong. With the theme of "carrying forward the 'Shanghai Spirit' and promoting friendly cooperation", about 400 Chinese and foreign guests, including dignitaries of relevant SCO countries and diplomatic envoys in China, attended the forum online and offline to talk about non-governmental and regional friendly exchanges and draw a blueprint for practical cooperation in the future.
Continuously enriching and expanding the connotation of cooperation
People friendly relations are the fundamental force for promoting world peace and development, and the fundamental prerequisite for achieving win-win cooperation.In June 2021, the first Shanghai Cooperation Organization Forum on Civil Friendship was held in Wuhan, Hubei, and the Wuhan Initiative for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Forum on Civil Friendship was released.
"June 15th is the 'birthday' of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization." In his speech, the Deputy Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Yermek Bayev, stated that the 'Shanghai Spirit' of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and seeking common development is the correct way for exchanges and coexistence among different countries and civilizations. The Shanghai Spirit emphasizes mutual trust and the need to further enhance people to people communication, making enhancing international city to city exchanges an important form of civil diplomacy.
Kyrgyz Deputy Prime Minister Besalov stated in his speech that humanity is a community with a shared future that benefits all and harms all. To achieve modernization in a country, it is necessary to seek common development through unity and cooperation. People to people friendship helps to promote unity and cooperation, and jointly address global challenges. China's proposals for global development, global security, and global civilization are very timely. This forum provides a good opportunity and platform for exploring related issues.
"The capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, has established a friendly city relationship with Qingdao, and we will further expand mutually beneficial cooperation." Rustam Emomali, Speaker of the Upper House of the Tajikistan Parliament and Mayor of Dushanbe, stated in a congratulatory letter to the forum that the forum provides an opportunity for all parties to jointly explore how to strengthen local cooperation while adhering to the principles of good neighborly friendship and mutual benefit. Beneficial dialogue and exchange will play an important role in further strengthening civil friendship.
Melnikov, the First Vice Chairman of the Russian State Duma and Chairman of the Russia China Friendship Association, stated in a video speech that in the face of threats and challenges, SCO member states should make every effort to promote the "Shanghai Spirit" and promote friendly cooperation. The successful hosting of this forum is conducive to enhancing mutual understanding and consolidating the public opinion foundation for friendly cooperation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. "We plan to carry out a series of exchanges and cooperation with China in the fields of youth, local areas, and humanities."
Provide greater space for pragmatic cooperation
This forum has achieved multiple cooperative results. The SCO Good Neighborhood and Friendship Cooperation Committee has signed memorandums of cooperation with Kyrgyzstan's SCO countries and the Silk Road Cultural Integration Center, the Russian Eurasian National Assembly, the Mongolian Peace and Friendship Organization, and the Nepal China Cultural Education Association. The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries has signed cooperation memorandums with the Uzbekistan Committee on Ethnic Relations and Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Tajikistan Shanghai Cooperation Organization Center for Friendship and Cooperation. Qingdao has signed an agreement to establish friendly city relations with Yerevan, Armenia, Ganja, Azerbaijan, and Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Samarkand Deputy Mayor Radzabov stated that becoming the host of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit is of great significance for the social and economic development of Samarkand. In the future, Samarkand and Qingdao, two cities that have hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, will jointly seize opportunities and develop potential, carry out economic, trade and cultural cooperation, and better benefit the people of both countries.
Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, has become sister cities with Qingdao in 2021. Deng Xiaoping Street in the western part of Bishkek city is the starting road from Bishkek to Osh, the second largest city in southern Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek Mayor Abdkadrov mentioned in his speech that the city will cooperate with Qingdao on the optimization and upgrading project of Deng Xiaoping Street.
Deputy Mayor Salom Zoda of Dushanbe stated that since the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, its international influence has been continuously increasing. The connections between cities along the ancient Silk Road have also been continuously strengthened within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Dushanbe has been actively consolidating friendly relations with cities within the SCO region and will further improve cooperation mechanisms in areas such as economy, trade, education, and humanities in the future.
The opening ceremony of the 2023 SCO National Poverty Reduction and Development Forum and Poverty Alleviation Training Course was also held within the framework of this forum. 70 students from SCO countries focused on topics such as rural governance, rural construction, and integration of agriculture and tourism. Through theoretical discussions and on-site investigations, they learned about poverty reduction and development cases, and learned about China's experience in poverty reduction and rural revitalization.
Vice Chairman of the House of Representatives of the Belarusian National Assembly, Mitskovich, stated that Belarus hopes to learn from China's poverty reduction experience and leverage its advantages in agricultural machinery and other fields to help SCO member countries ensure food security. In the current unstable international situation, it is necessary to fully utilize the platform of civil diplomacy to consolidate trust and friendship, and maintain peace. The SCO family accounts for almost half of the world's population and must make every effort to promote cultural exchange and maintain good neighborly relations.
Sobirjo Tashlipo, Director of the Residents' Social Security Bureau of Dushanbe City, believes that many development plans of SCO member countries are related to achieving sustainable development goals, and eliminating extreme poverty is the primary goal of the sustainable development agenda. "Eliminating poverty is not a single level issue, it requires joint participation from all parties. SCO countries have vast territory and enormous material and human resources, and can improve people's lives through cooperation."
"On the basis of China's experience, we have adopted policy measures that are suitable for our country's national conditions," said Vohid Jenarov, Director of the Poverty Reduction and Financial Assistance Project Bureau in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. They created the position of Mayor's Assistant, mainly responsible for poverty reduction and exploring new business activities, especially guiding villagers in the community. According to statistics from Uzbekistan, as of last year, more than one million people in Uzbekistan have successfully lifted themselves out of poverty through the work of mayoral assistants, and 209 new enterprises were established last year to serve the poverty alleviation cause.
Continuously enhancing friendship among people of various countries
At the opening ceremony of the forum, guests held hands with lively and lovely young athletes and walked onto the podium, pressing the button on the screen to launch the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Youth Sports and Culture Festival. A series of vibrant sports events will embark on a friendly journey to promote people to people communication.
At the opening ceremony, the launching ceremony of the "China Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Countries Friendly Cooperation and Exchange Season" was also held. The exchange season includes 15 key activities, in addition to the SCO Forum on Civil Friendship and Friendly Cities and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Forum on Industry and Supply Chain, as well as the International Investment and Trade Expo, Youth Cultural Exchange Forum, and the "SCO Summer" series of activities.
The forum also held two sub forums on technological innovation and educational and cultural exchanges. "Through the SCO National Science and Technology Innovation Forum, we have seen the determination and willingness of SCO countries to strengthen open cooperation in the field of science and technology, the strong cooperation needs of various innovation entities in SCO countries, the steady development of international collaborative innovation under the concept of global science and technology governance, and the surging momentum of youth innovation and entrepreneurship in SCO countries," said Palpiev, an academician of the Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences.
At the sub forum, the China SCO Technology Transfer Center released a hundred technological achievements and demands from universities, research institutes, and enterprises in SCO countries. Starting from June 16th, the center will simultaneously conduct project solicitation and cloud evaluation screening. Through joint evaluation by domestic and foreign experts, the final selected project will be nominated for the finals of the competition in August.
The third SCO Member States Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition was officially launched on the 15th. The competition attracted over 500 young people from more than 10 countries, including China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, actively participating in more than 200 projects including "Artificial Intelligence Systems for Monitoring Electrical Equipment Damage", "Digital Renewable Energy Laboratory", and "Intelligent Waste Management System".
Sabirov, Director of the Center for Civil Diplomacy of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Uzbekistan, stated that this forum fully demonstrates that civil diplomacy is an effective way to promote cultural exchange and mutual learning, and continuously injects new impetus into deepening civil cooperation. The Ukrainian side supports the institutionalization of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Forum on Civil Friendship, fully leveraging the role of media and digital technology, and innovating and expanding channels for friendly exchanges. I believe that this forum will gather joint efforts to promote cultural exchanges and innovative development, and enhance friendship among people of all countries.
People's Daily
