On October 15-16, the 23rd meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Heads of Government was held in Islamabad. Experts interviewed by China News Service emphasized that this meeting aimed to transform the important consensus reached at the Astana summit into practical outcomes centered around the vision of building “Five Common Homes.”
During the 24th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State held in July this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and leaders from member states reached significant agreements on collaboratively creating a SCO community characterized by unity and trust, peace and stability, prosperity and development, friendly neighborliness, and fairness and justice.
When it comes to implementing this important consensus, Chinese Premier Li Qiang stated that a stronger political foundation, more reliable security guarantees, closer economic ties, deeper emotional connections, and more coordinated multilateral cooperation are essential.
According to Chen Fengying, a researcher at the China Institute of Modern International Relations, these five aspects closely align with the vision of the “Five Common Homes,” outlining a fundamental framework for making this vision a reality. Since its establishment 23 years ago, the SCO has expanded to include 10 member states, covering 26 countries across three continents. Chen emphasizes that the “SCO family” has become increasingly robust.
However, she also noted that with the expansion of its membership, the SCO needs to better coordinate the different positions among its members while effectively responding to various external challenges. The “five essentials” proposed by China are pragmatic strategies meant to address the current realities of SCO development and are vital for realizing the vision of the “Five Common Homes.”
Within the framework of the “five essentials,” China proposed four specific suggestions during the meeting: enhancing strategic alignment around missions, expanding practical cooperation in line with development needs, proactively addressing key risks, and promoting greater exchanges among people, which are viewed as the practical “blueprint” for realizing the vision.
Observers note that these recommendations target the urgent needs of the SCO’s development. For instance, in light of escalating tensions in the Middle East and heightened security risks, the organization faces a critical security landscape. In its proposals, China expressed a willingness to strengthen intelligence sharing and joint actions with all parties, expedite the establishment of a comprehensive center for responding to security threats and challenges, as well as a drug control center, aiming for significant outcomes at next year’s summit that will lay a new foundation for regional security cooperation.
Chen Yurong, a researcher at the Chinese Institute of International Studies, analyzed that the SCO prioritizes security, making the establishment of a new platform for security cooperation necessary and urgent in the face of ongoing regional conflicts. This initiative will provide vital support for the sustainable development of the organization.
Chen further pointed out that China has officially assumed the rotating presidency of the SCO for 2024-2025. As a proactive leader in driving the organization’s development, there are high expectations from the international community regarding China’s ability to efficiently operate the new platform for security cooperation.
In addition to accurately addressing immediate issues such as security, China’s suggestions also reflect a long-term consideration for the sustainable development of the SCO. For instance, in proposing to enhance strategic alignment around missions, China suggested “formulating a development strategy for the SCO for the next decade and outlining a ‘roadmap’ for collaboration across various fields.”
Chen Yurong highlighted that developing this ten-year strategy would help ensure the SCO’s steady advancement. Reflecting on the past, a key success factor for the SCO has been its ability to overcome differences, achieve significant consensus, and subsequently turn this consensus into tangible results.
Chen Fengying expressed hope that all member states will strengthen strategic communication regarding the ten-year development strategy, work to bridge differences, and better unify efforts for organizational development. As the fruits of collaboration in various fields come to fruition, the vision of building the “Five Common Homes” will become increasingly tangible and relatable.
