XI CALLS FOR BUILDING A SHARED FUTURE
China to establish a 316 billion rupees special lending facility and offers to train 2,000 law enforcement officers
President Xi Jinping has called for joint efforts with Shanghai Co-operation Organisation countries to build an open world economy and reject “self-centred, shortsighted and closed-door policies”.
Mr Xi made the remark in a speech delivered at the plenary session of the organisation’s summit on June 10 in Qingdao, Shandong province.
Broad consensus had been reached at the summit as leaders endorsed the Qingdao Declaration and a joint statement on trade facilitation, Mr Xi said.
“We should uphold World Trade Organisation rules and support the multilateral trading system so as to build an open world economy.”
The SCO was founded in June 2001 by China, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan. Its predecessor, the Shanghai Five, succeeded in resolving border disputes among China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. It accepted India and Pakistan as full members in June 2017, and more recently accepted Turkey, a NATO member, as a dialogue partner.
The latest summit offered a new vision for a more just and equitable world order featuring common security and shared growth, along with open and inclusive international co-operation for better global governance. The summit marked a milestone in the organisation’s history, being its first summit since India and Pakistan joined China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as full members last year.
Mr Xi said that while unilateralism, trade protectionism and the backlash against globalisation are taking on new forms, the pursuit of co-operation for mutual benefit represents a growing trend.
At the summit Mr Xi announced a number of important measures to promote the goal of building a Shanghai Co-operation Organisation community with a shared future.
China will establish a 30 billion yuan (316 billion rupees) equivalent special lending facility within the framework of the Interbank Consortium of the organisation, Mr Xi said.
China proposes to train 2,000 law enforcement officers for all countries of the organisation in the next three years to improve law enforcement capacity building. In addition, China will provide 3,000 training opportunities for the human resources development of organisation member states, Mr Xi said.
China will provide meteorological services to all parties using its Fengyun 2 weather satellites, he said.
The organisation has created a new model for regional collaboration and made a new contribution to peace and development in the region, Mr Xi said.
Member countries should reform and improve the global governance system and work with all other countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind.
While hegemony still exists in the world, the growing call for a more just and equitable international order must be heeded, Mr Xi said, adding that greater democracy in international relations has become an unstoppable trend.
“The Shanghai spirit, which transcends outdated concepts such as the clash of civilisations, Cold War and zero-sum mentality, has opened a new chapter in the history of international relations and gained increasing endorsement of the international community,” Mr Xi said.
The summit ratified a five-year action plan for implementing the Treaty on Long-Term Good Neighb our liness, Friendship and Co-operation of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation Member States, a collaborative programme to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism, and a drug control strategy and its action plan.
Other documents were also approved dealing with collaboration in food security and environmental protection, and a memorandum of understanding on the organisation’s secretariat and UNESCO working together.
The leaders also witnessed the signing of a number of documents covering collaboration in fields including business, customs, tourism and foreign exchanges.
On behalf of leaders of the member states, Mr Xi said at a media briefing that all parties had agreed to increase unity and collaboration and deepen the partnership that advocates peace and reform, equal treatment, openness, and inclusiveness and results that benefit all.
Vladimir Potapenko, deputy secretary-general of the organisation, said the Qingdao summit was the most fruitful meeting the organisation had held so far.
In addition to the many documents on collaboration to come out of the summit, Mr Potapenko said, the secretariat had also heeded many good proposals from the leaders of member countries.
“In the next step it is our job to see them through.”
Addressing reporters, Mr Xi said that security is the foundation of the development of the organisation. All parties involved will uphold a joint, comprehensive, co-operative and sustainable security concept, he said, and members will further exchanges on counterterrorism intelligence and joint actions.
“With the global economy facing difficulties and setbacks in its recovery and with frequent front-burner issues regionally and internationally, no country can cope alone or stand unscathed.”
Leaders agreed to safeguard the authority and effectiveness of WTO rules and consolidate the open, inclusive, transparent, nondiscriminatory and rules-based multilateral trade system, Mr Xi said.
Collaboration through the Belt and Road Initiative and co-ordinating development strategies will also be reinforced, and collaboration in fields including business, investment, finance, connectivity and agriculture will be enhanced to promote trade and investment facilitation and inject new momentum into the world economy, he said.
The leaders agreed to continue to conduct bilateral and multilateral collaboration in areas including culture, education, science and technology, environmental protection, health, tourism, youth, media and sports on the basis of mutual respect for cultural diversity and social values. The leaders also agreed to:
• Oppose fragmentation in world trade relations and any form of trade protectionism.
• Support the China International Import Expo to be held in Shanghai in November.
• Maintain that the Korean Peninsula issue must be resolved through dialogue and consultation.
• Stress that political dialogue and an Afghan-owned and Afghanled peace and reconciliation process is the only way to solve the Afghan issue.
• Point out that sustainable implementation of the Iran nuclear deal is important, and call upon parties to abide by obligations and ensure the deal is implemented in full.
• Oppose the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere, in any case and for whatever purpose.