Chinese FM attends meeting of SCO Council of Foreign Ministers, offers proposal on SCO development

DUSHANBE, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi put forward a five-point proposal here on Wednesday on the development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) when attending a meeting of the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers.

First, the SCO members should pursue solidarity and coordination, and further cement the political foundation for cooperation, Wang said.

He said the countries should promote cooperation with rock-solid unity, properly deal with differences through dialogue and negotiation, support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, and coordinate efforts against external interference, risks and challenges.

Second, Wang suggested, the countries should share responsibility for security and ensure long-lasting peace and order in the region.

He said the SCO members should crack down on the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism as well as terrorist forces as confirmed by the United Nations Security Council, including the "East Turkestan Islamic Movement."

Wang said the countries should strengthen cooperation on drug control, border protection and security, and coordinate positions and actions regarding major issues including data security, biosecurity and outer space security.

China has proposed the Global Initiative on Data Security and is ready to work with other countries to create a cyberspace of peace, security, openness and cooperation.

Third, the SCO members should cooperate in combating the COVID-19 pandemic and safeguarding people's well-being, Wang added.

The countries should firmly oppose "vaccine nationalism," solve the problem of vaccine production and distribution, and bridge the global "immunity gap," he said.

Wang stressed that the origin tracing of COVID-19 is a serious scientific issue, which should be carried out across the globe by scientists from different countries in a professional manner.

He said each party should help uphold the authority of science, stand up for justice, and reject slandering other countries under the pretext of origin tracing.

Fourth, the countries should also open up more and become increasingly interconnected so as to steadily boost economic recovery, said the foreign minister.

All parties should give full play to the advantages of their geographical proximity and complementary industrial structures, deepen the alignment of development strategies, and achieve more sustainable and resilient development, Wang said.

The SCO members should continue to promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, unleash the potential of Belt and Road cooperation, improve the level of interconnection in the region, and step up cooperation in scientific and technological innovation, he said.

Fifth, the SCO members should follow the trend of the times and build a community with a shared future, Wang said.

The parties should jointly resist unilateralism upheld by some countries in spite of the basic norms of international relations, he said.

The SCO should resolutely object to power politics and reject the imposition of so-called rules formulated by a "small clique," he said.

During the meeting, foreign ministers of other countries spoke highly of the remarkable achievements that the SCO has made in maintaining regional peace and stability, promoting economic cooperation and development, and strengthening people-to-people and cultural exchanges over the past 20 years.

The meeting has also made comprehensive preparations for the SCO summit in September.