News Hotline:0531-82626555
中文|한국어|
HomeLatestcontent

High hopes on Qingdao summit as SCO emphasizes regional security cooperation

2018/5/30 13:54:11   source:Global Times

Regional security cooperation has been a priority of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) since its inception in June 2001. With the entry of India and Pakistan, the SCO has seen growing space for security cooperation and meanwhile new problems. Therefore, strengthening regional security cooperation is a top agenda of the SCO summit in Qingdao, East China, in June.

President Xi Jinping met with delegations of SCO member states in April and May, ahead of the summit. This highlights the importance China, as SCO chair, has attached to regional security cooperation, on which the upcoming Qingdao summit has pinned high hopes.

The SCO's emphasis on regional security cooperation after expansion takes from the following. To begin with, security is still a bedrock for SCO's development. The group has been playing a unique role in promoting regional security and stability. Second, under the SCO framework, regional security cooperation has seen sound multilateral operations. For instance, "Peace Mission" is an important routine military exercise that has been conducted dozens of times. Third, SCO member states have a strong will to cooperate and can immediately forge a consensus. Fourth, SCO members need a peaceful and stable external environment for social and economic development. Fifth, prominent factors causing instability at both global and regional level require multilateral security cooperation.

Political environment is another factor affecting regional security cooperation. To a large extent, the declaration to be made by heads of SCO members, which is to build a new-type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation, and the guideline for implementing the SCO's Treaty of Long-Term Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation in the next five years to be approved at the SCO summit, are building up an enabling political environment for the SCO.

In the next five years, the SCO will focus its attention on the following. To begin with, deepen regional security cooperation and establish a better security cooperation system. Second, hold high the banner of "Shanghai Spirit," safeguard the unity of the organization and enhance group capability. Third, give a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable dimension to security, create favorable security environment for member states' developmental strategy, promote the building-up of a community with shared future for mankind, and establish a fair and stable multi-polar world.

Fourth, strengthen current partnerships and carry out more candid negotiations. Fifth, intensify departmental collaborations and enhance executive capability in security cooperation so as to jointly combat terrorism and continue the "Peace Mission" anti-terrorism drills. Sixth, effectively implement the Program of Cooperation of SCO member states in combating terrorism, separatism and extremism for 2019-21, and other documents to prevent young people from participating in terrorist and extremist activities. Seventh, assist Afghanistan in bringing back peace and stability under the SCO framework. Eighth, intensify pragmatic cooperation on international intelligence security.

An improvement in India-Pakistan relations is another achievement under the SCO framework. The two countries have fought three major wars in history and have been hostile toward each other for a long time despite some favorable turns. After entry into the SCO in 2015, India-Pakistan relations reached an impasse again following the 2016 Pathankot attack. SCO member states reaching consensus on security cooperation ahead of the Qingdao summit is closely connected to joint efforts by New Delhi and Islamabad, and mediation by other members.

The SCO security cooperation is of great significance not only to member states, but also to peace and stability in the whole of Eurasia. The group cannot terminate conflicts among members, but it can help avoid resolution of issues by force. Regional security cooperation will be an important pillar of SCO's future development and will instill more vitality into the group.

The author is an associate research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and deputy secretary-general of the SCO Research Center affiliated to CASS.

Related Stories

Photos

Chinese Dictionary:
Sponsor:Information Office of Shandong Provincial People’s Government