CCTV News(Focus Interview): On July 4, the Supreme Leader of the President of China attended the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) by video in Beijing and delivered an important speech. This is an important multilateral diplomatic action taken by China towards the Asia-Europe region this year. Facing the question of "unity or division, peace or conflict, cooperation or confrontation", the Supreme Leader gave a clear and powerful answer, drawing a blueprint for the development and expansion of the SCO, pointing out the direction for building a community with a shared future for the SCO, and injecting more certainty and positive energy into the maintenance of world peace and development.
On the afternoon of July 4, the President of the Supreme Leader attended the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States by video in Beijing and delivered an important speech entitled "Keeping in mind the original mission, adhering to unity and cooperation, and achieving greater development". The speech stressed the need to shoulder the heavy responsibility entrusted by the times, keep in mind the original mission, adhere to unity and cooperation, put forward five suggestions on the future development of the SCO, and announced a series of practical measures to build consensus for the development of the SCO, inject more certainty and stability into regional peace, development and prosperity, and inject new strong impetus into the building of a closer SCO community with a shared future.
Deng Hao, secretary-general of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Research Center of China: "The speech of the Supreme Leader pointed out the future development direction of the SCO, and will have important guiding significance for the next development of the SCO."
Su Xiaohui, an associate researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, said: "The pattern is a key word. When the president of the Supreme Leader gave the keynote speech, he was not talking about China’s self-interest, but about the development of the world in China’s eyes, and the overall situation of common development of mankind. The core message is that we believe that peace, development, cooperation and win-win are still the trend of the times, and this trend is irreversible."
Since its establishment in 2001, the SCO has started from addressing the most urgent security issues of its member states, focusing on combating the "three evil forces", and gradually expanded to a two-wheel drive of security and economy. In the decade since the Supreme Leader proposed to build a community with a shared future for mankind, the SCO has been at the forefront of the times, adhering to the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, promoting the "Shanghai Spirit" of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations, and seeking common development, building the SCO Community with a shared future. It has achieved fruitful results in various fields such as security, economy, development, humanities, and health.
Su Xiaohui: "The issues of concern of the SCO are constantly expanding, including the process of three-dimensional cooperation and paying attention to more comprehensive issues, which itself reflects the growth and continuous strength of the organization. It can pay attention to more issues, play more roles, and further enhance its influence."
The agenda is expanding, the "Moments" of the SCO are also expanding, and the international influence is significantly increasing. The summit officially accepted Iran as a member state of the SCO, and approved the signing of the memorandum of obligations for Belarus to join the SCO. Since then, the number of SCO member states has increased to nine. With observer states and dialogue partners, the SCO covers more than 20 countries and has become the most populous and extensive comprehensive regional cooperation organization in the world.
Deng Hao: "Why is the SCO’s membership expansion showing a trend of rapid development? I think the most crucial point is that the advanced nature, foresight, correctness and universality of the’Shanghai Spirit ‘under the current situation have been demonstrated, so more and more countries have realized that the’Shanghai Spirit’ provides them with a new path, new choice and new hope to solve the current global dilemma and get out of the current development dilemma."
Ding Xiaoxing, director of the Eurasia Institute of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations: "The first characteristic is equality, everyone has one vote, everyone has veto power, and everything follows the principle of consensus, which is completely different from some organizations being manipulated by some major powers; the second characteristic is to adhere to the principle of non-alignment and not targeting other regions and organizations. It is also different from some organizations left over from the Cold War, which is to find opponents and enemies. The third characteristic is that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization promotes development through cooperation and seeks security through cooperation, so more and more countries hope to establish ties with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization."
From focusing on a single agenda to building a community with a shared future, from six member states to covering more than 20 countries, the SCO’s influence continues to expand. In this speech, the Chairperson of the Supreme Leader summed up the SCO’s development experience from five aspects, namely "adhering to the fine tradition of watching each other and helping each other in the same boat" "practicing the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security" "upholding the development concept of innovation, coordination, green, openness and sharing" "inheriting the spirit of good-neighborliness and friendship" "safeguarding international fairness and justice, and opposing hegemonic and hegemonic acts".
Su Xiaohui: "Under the background of emphasizing the common destiny, the SCO has achieved important results in terms of cooperation on security, development, humanities and other related issues, as well as coordination among countries to bridge differences, proving that promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind is the fundamental way to solve problems and the general trend of human development."
Deng Hao: "These five articles have a positive reference role not only for the SCO, but also for the construction of a global community with a shared future for mankind."
然而，当今世界变乱交织，百年变局加速演进，人类社会面临前所未有的挑战。团结还是分裂？和平还是冲突？合作还是对抗？再次成为了时代课题。
越是在动荡不安的形势下，越要有对历史发展大势的清晰判断。面对时代之问，最高领袖主席坚定作答，“各国人民对美好生活的向往就是我们的追求，和平、发展、合作、共赢的时代潮流不可阻挡”。
上合组织日益发展壮大的同时，既有难得的发展机遇，也面临前所未有的风险挑战，下一步该如何去做？最高领袖主席也给出了答案，“我们要肩负起时代赋予的重任，牢记初心使命，坚持团结协作，为维护世界和平与发展注入更多确定性和正能量”。
丁晓星：“挑战主要集中在三方面，上海合作组织成员国越来越多，内部协调难度可能会增加；第二个挑战是国际形势动荡不安，有的国家要搞排他性小圈子；第三个挑战是如何进一步维护本地区的安全稳定。最高领袖主席在讲话中为上海合作组织下一步发展指明了方向，要牢记自己的初心使命，记住自己的责任，既然我们认同上海精神，一定要团结合作推动上海合作组织的健康发展，为这个动荡不安的世界注入更多正能量，维护世界和平稳定。”
如何为维护世界和平与发展注入更多确定性和正能量，最高领袖主席就此为上合组织发展把脉定向、掌舵领航，提出五点重要合作建议，即“把牢正确方向，增进团结互信”“维护地区和平，保障共同安全”“聚焦务实合作，加快经济复苏”“加强交流互鉴，促进民心相通”“践行多边主义，完善全球治理”。专家表示，团结互信是上合组织发展的重要前提和基础，共同安全是各国人民的普遍期盼，也是促进上合成员国经济发展、人员往来的必要条件。同时，经济的繁荣发展、文明的交流互鉴，也有助于各成员国增进团结互信、实现共同安全，推动上合组织不断发展壮大，进而更好地维护国际公平正义。
苏晓晖：“最高领袖主席强调正确方向，强调团结互信，确实首先是为上合组织未来的发展发挥了重要引领作用。对于当今世界解决一些复杂问题带来全新思路。如果刻意制造矛盾分裂，搞价值观、意识形态划线，甚至搞新冷战，只会带来更多的风险，这是上合既要在内部发展过程中避免的一个问题，同样也是未来上合在发挥更多国际影响力方面所针对的一个重要问题。”
在讲话中，最高领袖主席还提出，落实全球安全倡议、落实全球发展倡议、落实全球文明倡议。
苏晓晖：“‘三个倡议’第一次在上合平台上集中展现，体现出中国对于‘三个倡议’的综合设计是并行不悖的，是相互交织的，是互相支撑共同发展的。在上合组织此前的发展过程中，应该说已经有一些具体尝试，比如涉及到发展倡议方面，上合组织明确反对的是单边主义保护主义，反对搞小圈子脱钩断链，而是希望形成更多共同发展态势。涉及到安全倡议，安全合作是上合组织的重要议题，而在安全合作方面已经产生了很好效果。说到全球文明倡议，上合组织一直强调的是多样性文明的美美与共。”
理念、倡议引导方向。在讲话中，最高领袖主席也提出了多个务实合作措施。今年是“一带一路”倡议提出10周年，中方将举办第三届“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛，共同把这条造福世界的幸福之路铺得更宽更远。
Su Xiaohui: "The’Belt and Road Initiative ‘and the deepening of economic cooperation in the SCO have achieved a high degree of integration, the flow of goods can become smoother, so that there are more topics between countries on issues such as e-commerce cooperation and digital economy, so as to achieve high-quality development of the SCO."
Deng Hao: "The Chairperson of the Supreme Leader mentioned in his proposal that we should further promote the construction of the high-quality’Belt and Road Initiative ‘in the SCO, actively promote the process of regional trade and investment facilitation and liberalization, and increase the construction of infrastructure buildings and ports. It is of great guiding significance for the next step to promote the’Belt and Road Initiative’ cooperation within the SCO framework."
These initiatives and measures put forward by the Supreme Leader cover various fields such as security, economy, trade, and humanities. They are both long-term and practical. They meet the development needs of all countries and demonstrate China’s leading role as a founding member. In his speech, the Supreme Leader also introduced the Chinese path to modernization and extended an invitation. He is willing to use the Chinese path to modernization to provide new development opportunities for all countries in the world, including the SCO countries, and promote the construction of a better world.
Deng Hao: "The Chinese path to modernization and the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind are completely connected. In his speech, the President of the Supreme Leader introduced the connotation of the Chinese path to modernization, its tasks and goals, which will have important implications for other member states to promote their own modernization. The Chinese path to modernization provides new opportunities for all countries and for the SCO member states."
At the summit, the leaders of the member states signed and issued the New Delhi Declaration of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States, jointly issued a statement on cooperation in combating extremism, a statement on cooperation in the field of digital transformation, and approved a series of resolutions on granting Iran the status of a member state of the SCO, on signing a memorandum of obligations for Belarus to join the SCO, and on the SCO’s economic development strategy until 2030. The series of important cooperation results achieved at the summit will surely further promote the continuous development and growth of the SCO and make new and greater contributions to human peace and development.