Wang Yi: SCO Must Play Greater Global Role at 25-Year Mark

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to serve as “a stabilizing, constructive and progressive force in today’s world” as he addressed a reception in Beijing marking the 25th anniversary of the organization’s founding, according to China Daily. The event, held on June 15, 2026 — exactly 25 years after the SCO’s founding in Shanghai — drew approximately 200 attendees, including diplomatic envoys from member states and representatives of international organizations.

A Quarter-Century of Expansion and Influence

Founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the SCO has grown into the world’s largest comprehensive regional organization by geographic coverage and population. It now comprises 10 member states — having added India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus in successive rounds of enlargement — along with two observer states and 15 dialogue partners. As People’s Daily reported, SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev noted that approximately 20 countries have applications pending to join the organization in some capacity, underscoring its growing international appeal.

Speaking at the reception, Wang Yi emphasized that the SCO has cultivated the “Shanghai Spirit” — a guiding philosophy characterized by mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and the pursuit of common development. He described the organization’s approach as “a new model of regional cooperation among neighboring countries — partnership without alliance, jointly safeguarding security and stability, and jointly promoting development and prosperity.”

Strategic Vision for the Next Decade

The anniversary comes less than a year after the SCO Tianjin Summit in September 2025, where leaders adopted a 10-year development strategy for the organization. Yermekbayev described the strategy as “ambitious yet realistic” in his remarks at the reception, as reported by Xinhua. The summit also established four new security-focused centers and designated 2025 as “SCO Sustainable Development Year.”

Wang Yi called for accelerating preparations for an SCO development bank — a move that signals the bloc’s ambition to create alternative financial mechanisms outside Western-dominated institutions. He also urged stronger industrial and supply chains, closer people-to-people exchanges, and deeper cooperation in scientific innovation, green industries, and the digital economy.

Security and Multilateralism

On security matters, Wang Yi urged the SCO to “uphold common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security,” specifically calling for efforts to promote peace and stability in the Middle East and support Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development. He advocated for the organization to “practice true multilateralism, support the United Nations’ role and authority, and advocate an equal and orderly multipolar world.”

SCO Deputy Secretary-General Ahmad Saidmurodzoda praised China’s role within the organization, telling China Daily that “as a member state, China demonstrates a constructive approach to the development of mutually beneficial cooperation and practical interaction within the SCO.” He added that China’s rotating presidency “produced initiatives serving the interests of all member states.”

China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and Regional Priorities

Wang Yi noted that 2026 marks the start of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period, emphasizing that SCO cooperation remains a priority in China’s neighborhood diplomacy. “China is willing to share development opportunities with SCO member states and achieve win-win cooperation,” he said, as the country pursues high-quality development, fosters new quality productive forces, and expands high-level opening-up.

Looking Ahead

As the SCO enters its next quarter-century, it faces both opportunities and challenges. The organization’s expanding membership — now spanning from Eastern Europe to South Asia — brings diverse interests that must be reconciled through its traditional consensus-based decision-making. Yet with 30 sectoral cooperation mechanisms already in place and growing interest from prospective members across the Middle East, South Asia, and beyond, the SCO appears positioned to play an increasingly prominent role in shaping the architecture of Eurasian cooperation.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian summarized the organization’s trajectory at a regular press briefing on June 15, stating that after 25 years of development, the SCO has become “the world’s largest comprehensive regional cooperation organization in terms of geographic coverage, population, and development potential.”