Xi Proposes Four-Point Plan at SCO’s 25th Anniversary Summit
Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on September 1, delivering a major speech titled “Toward Higher-Quality Development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization” that outlined a four-point proposal for the organization’s future direction. The summit marked the 25th anniversary of the SCO’s founding and was chaired by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov under the theme “25 Years of the SCO: Together for Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity.”
A Quarter-Century of Achievement
In his address, Xi reflected on the SCO’s extraordinary 25-year journey, noting that the organization has “steadily grown into a new type of regional cooperation organization with the largest land area and population and enormous development potential.” He highlighted the Shanghai Spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations, and pursuit of common development as the organization’s most valuable spiritual asset, according to Xinhua News.
The Chinese leader emphasized that the SCO’s most important experience for cooperation has been finding “the right way of coexistence featuring non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party,” enabling regional countries to build a common home together. He warned that with “transformation not seen in a century accelerating across the globe,” the SCO should “step forward to shoulder its historical responsibility and steer the course for the future.”
Four-Point Proposal for Higher-Quality Development
Xi put forward a four-point proposal for the SCO’s future development, as reported by Global Times:
First, staying committed to putting development first. Xi called for advocating a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, consolidating cooperation in traditional areas such as trade, investment, connectivity, energy and resources, while expanding cooperation in emerging areas including artificial intelligence, digital economy, green industry and green mining.
Second, staying committed to taking security as a key goal. The Chinese president urged coordinated measures to tackle traditional and non-traditional security threats, including cracking down on terrorism, separatism and extremism, transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, and telecom fraud. He stressed the need to “prevent external forces from interfering in our internal affairs, endangering our political security, and undermining regional stability.”
Third, staying committed to a people-centered approach. Xi called for building cooperation networks between legislatures, political parties, institutions of education, think tanks, businesses, and the media to promote nongovernmental exchanges and invigorate good-neighborliness among member states.
Fourth, staying committed to dialogue and consultation. The Chinese leader advocated that all countries, regardless of their size, are equal, and that regional affairs should be discussed by all countries to bridge differences and build consensus.
Concrete Commitments and New Initiatives
Beyond the strategic vision, Xi announced a series of concrete commitments that demonstrate China’s intent to move from declarations to delivery. China will establish an international AI application cooperation center for SCO countries, set up a China-SCO port economic cooperation center in Tianjin, and implement 100 technological cooperation projects with SCO countries over the next three years. Beijing also pledged to continue working with fellow SCO members to increase photovoltaic and wind power capacity by 10 million kilowatts each, as detailed in the full text of Xi’s speech.
These announcements reflect a notable shift from blueprint to outcomes, according to observers. Kubat Rakhimov, executive director of Applicata - Centre for Strategic Solutions in Bishkek, told the Global Times: “I read it as a shift from declaration to delivery. The four global initiatives are being anchored inside SCO mechanism, and this time with a concrete list attached.”
Bishkek Declaration and Institutional Milestones
Leaders of the SCO member states signed and issued the Bishkek Declaration marking the organization’s 25th anniversary, approved the protocol on amendments and additions to the SCO Charter, regulations on the SCO Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats, and regulations on the SCO Anti-drug Center. They also adopted 28 outcome documents covering security, economic, people-to-people and cultural cooperation, and organizational development, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The meeting decided that Pakistan will assume the rotating SCO chairmanship for 2026-2027, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated by Xi on taking over the role. Pakistan will host the 27th SCO summit in Islamabad in 2027, as noted in the Wikipedia entry on the 2026 Bishkek SCO summit.
SCO+ Meeting: Advocating an Equal and Orderly Multipolar World
In the afternoon, Xi also attended the “SCO Plus” meeting, where he delivered a second speech titled “Jointly Advocating an Equal and Orderly Multipolar World and Making Global Governance More Just and Equitable.” The expanded format brought together leaders from Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Egypt, Laos, Turkey, Vietnam, and Togo, along with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and heads of several international organizations.
In his address, Xi articulated China’s vision for global governance reform, emphasizing that “sovereign equality and mutual respect are fundamental principles” and that “multipolarity, independent choice of development paths, and greater democracy in international relations are the right way forward.” He highlighted the growing role of the Global South, stating that these countries “ought to have greater representation and voice in international affairs,” according to the full text of his SCO+ speech.
Xi put forward three proposals for the SCO’s role: driving common prosperity across the Eurasian continent through the “SCO Strength,” promoting the development and rise of the Global South through the “SCO Wisdom,” and guiding the reform and improvement of global governance through the “SCO Action.”
From Declaration to Delivery
The summit’s emphasis on concrete outcomes marks a significant evolution for the organization. Djoomart Otorbaev, former prime minister of Kyrgyzstan, observed: “What began as a forum for settling borders among founding members has become the largest regional organization in the world by landmass, population, and GDP. This unique institution is transforming itself into a center of crystallization for global governance.”
The economic scale of the SCO is substantial. Trade between China and other SCO members grew from $12.1 billion in 2001 to $523.5 billion in 2025, accounting for 8 percent of China’s total foreign trade. The organization now represents approximately half of the world’s population and a quarter of global GDP.
Experts also highlighted China’s pivotal role in shaping the organization. Manish Chand, editor-in-chief of India and World, told the Global Times that “China has played a very pivotal role in shaping the SCO,” noting that the organization has emerged as “a preeminent forum and preeminent multilateral grouping” in Eurasia.
Looking Ahead
As the SCO enters its next quarter-century, the Bishkek summit has set an ambitious agenda focused on translating strategic vision into tangible results. The handover of chairmanship to Pakistan signals continued geographic and political expansion of the organization, while the SCO+ format’s growing participation demonstrates its increasing global appeal.
Observers will be watching how China’s announced initiatives - from the AI cooperation center to the port economic center in Tianjin - materialize in the coming years, and whether the SCO can serve as a model for global governance reform. As Xi concluded in his remarks: “When purpose guides us, no path is too long; when resolve strengthens us, no barrier is too high.”