Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for promoting a correct view of second world war history and opposing cold war mentality, block confrontation and bullying, a statement seen as sending a message to the United States over its unilateral imposition of tariffs on other nations including China.
He stated that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states must advocate for an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalisation.
In his address at the 25th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO in Tianjin on Monday, Xi said, “We must uphold fairness and justice. We must promote a correct view of World War II history and oppose the Cold War mentality, block confrontation, and bullying. We must uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core and support the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organisation at its core. We must advocate for an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic globalization, and promote the building of a more just and reasonable global governance system.”
He stated that member states must continue to advance the reform of the SCO, increase resource input and capacity building and ensure that its mechanisms are more robust, its decision-making more scientific and its actions more efficient.
“We must adhere to pragmatism and efficiency. We must continue to advance the reform of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, increase resource input and capacity building, and ensure that its mechanisms are more robust, its decision-making more scientific, and its actions more efficient. We must expedite the launch of the Integrated Center for Addressing Security Threats and Challenges and the Narcotics Control Center, and establish the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Development Bank as soon as possible to provide stronger support for member states’ security and economic cooperation,” he said.
Calling for seeking common ground while reserving differences, Xi said, “We must insist on seeking common ground while reserving differences. Sharing common aspirations is strength and advantage, while seeking common ground while reserving differences is broad-mindedness and wisdom. All SCO member states are friends and partners. We must respect each other’s differences, maintain strategic communication, build collective consensus, strengthen unity and cooperation, expand cooperation, leverage the endowments of each country, and shoulder the shared responsibility of promoting peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region.”
Xi Jinping stated that SCO member states must uphold openness and inclusiveness while stressing that they should learn from each other through cultural exchanges and provide strong support in economic cooperation, working together to build a garden of civilisations where self-improvement, mutual benefit, and harmonious coexistence flourish.
He said, “Upon its founding 24 years ago, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) established the “Shanghai Spirit” of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and the pursuit of common development. Over the past 24 years, member states have upheld this original aspiration, shared opportunities, pursued common development, and driven the SCO’s development and cooperation to achieve a series of groundbreaking and historic achievements.”
The SCO Summit, currently underway in Tianjin, is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation established in Shanghai on June 15, 2001. The SCO member states are: China, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Belarus. The SCO has two observer states – Afghanistan and Mongolia and 14 dialogue partners – Turkey, Kuwait, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, the Maldives, Myanmar, and the United Arab Emirates.