The first Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Youth Campus was held on Aug. 22 to Aug. 30 in China.

 

The first Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Youth Campus was launched on Aug. 22 in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

One of many multilateral cultural exchanges under the framework of the SCO, the camp is a sign that partnerships among member countries are growing stronger by the day.
 

Counterterrorism and national security are the two priorities of the SCO’s security agenda. The inclusion of Afghanistan and Middle East issues on the agenda of the SCO summit this year shows the SCO has a sense of responsibility, said Su Chang, an associate research fellow from the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
 

The SCO approved agreements that pave the way for India and Pakistan to join the organization at the summit this year. Pan Zhiping, a professor from the Institute of Central Asian Studies at Xinjiang University, said the SCO is open to those who cherish the same values expressed in the Shanghai spirit.
 

Building upon the established consensus, new members will be able to more easily cooperate with the old members, Pan said. The China-Uzbekistan relationship was upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership at the SCO summit this year, which will be a good example for future partnerships under the auspices of the SCO, he said.
 

The accession of India and Pakistan to the SCO represents the deepening of political trust among member countries that is critical to peaceful development in this region, Su said. It also indicates member countries are developing a greater understanding of the idea of partnership and community of common destiny, she said.
 

China is committed to innovating and upgrading the partnership network by not only expanding SCO membership but also advancing practical cooperation in key areas. China’s initiation of a new multinational project—the E-40 Highway linking SCO member states—is a prime example of pragmatic cooperation, said Sui Ran, Chinese secretary-general from the University of the SCO.

 

Lü Mengdi is a reporter at the Chinese Social Sciences Today.