Li Qiang’s speech at the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Minister) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states (full text)
On October 16, 2024, during the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Islamabad, Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivered a speech.
“Esteemed Prime Minister Shehbaz, fellow colleagues,
It’s a pleasure to gather with all of you in the beautiful ‘Garden City’ of Islamabad. First, I want to extend my gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz and the Pakistani government for their meticulous preparations and thoughtful arrangements for this meeting. I also welcome Prime Minister Golovchenko from Belarus as a new member state.
In the past year, SCO member states have actively responded to the spirit of our leaders’ meetings, carrying out solid cooperation in the fields of trade, security, culture, and more. We have reached numerous cooperation agreements and formulated over a dozen reform measures, achieving remarkable results. Together, we are walking hand in hand on the path of shared security and development, and our steps are increasingly steady. The SCO is rare among international organizations in having both leaders’ meetings and government heads meetings. This unique institutional design has proven practical and efficient, making the SCO an important platform for maintaining regional peace and stability while promoting the development and prosperity of all nations.
During the Astana Summit in July this year, President Xi Jinping achieved significant consensus with leaders from member states on building a united, trusting, peaceful, prosperous, friendly, and just SCO community. This vision of a shared home embodies principles we all cherish, addresses common challenges we face, and creates a future we all aspire to. I believe this shared vision should focus on five key aspects:
First, we must establish a stronger political foundation. Since its founding, the SCO has demonstrated tremendous vitality, primarily due to our commitment to the “Shanghai Spirit,” which serves as a vital political consensus, fostering trust among each other. Regardless of international changes, if we keep the “Shanghai Spirit” deeply rooted, the SCO’s cooperation will remain stable.
Second, we need to ensure more reliable security guarantees. With ongoing geopolitical conflicts and new challenges like cybersecurity and biological threats, no country can achieve safety in isolation. True security means that all of us are secure. Only by enhancing our mechanisms to address these threats can we better safeguard our shared development.
Third, we must strengthen our economic ties. With the SCO’s recent expansion, the economic complementarity among member states has become more pronounced. By deepening economic connections and overcoming external centrifugal forces, we can foster mutually beneficial exchanges of resources, markets, and industries and create a more powerful momentum for development.
Fourth, we strive for a deeper emotional connection. The SCO region is rich in diverse civilizations, with a long history of the blending of different ethnicities and cultures, leading to vibrant coexistence. This provides a popular foundation for advancing cooperation. We should continue to enhance cultural exchanges and mutual understanding among our peoples.
Fifth, we need coordinated multilateral cooperation. The SCO family spans three continents and 26 countries, establishing itself as a significant constructive force on the international stage. By adhering to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and strengthening our communication and coordination, we can better unite the developing countries and promote a fairer, more reasonable international order.
As China assumes the rotating presidency of the SCO for 2024-2025, our working slogan is “Promoting the ‘Shanghai Spirit’: The SCO in Action.” This reflects our commitment to transforming our leaders’ consensus into effective actions and turning the beautiful vision of our “shared home” into a reality. China is ready to put forth four recommendations:
First, we need to enhance strategic alignment around our mission. The pursuit of peaceful development remains the SCO’s unwavering goal. As we formulate the development strategy for the next decade, let’s maintain a big-picture perspective, eliminate external disruptions, and create a detailed roadmap for cooperation across various sectors.
Second, we should expand practical cooperation that meets development needs. With 2025 designated as the “SCO Year for Sustainable Development,” we look forward to deepening cooperation in poverty reduction, digital economy, and green development to enhance our developmental capacity. We should also focus on facilitating regional trade and investment, ensuring stability in industrial and supply chains, and actively promote the establishment of an SCO Development Bank for financing support.
Third, let’s focus on actively addressing major risks. The current security landscape remains dire, and combating the “three forces” (terrorism, separatism, and extremism) remains a significant task, alongside challenges in information security and transnational organized crime. China is prepared to strengthen intelligence sharing and joint actions with member states, pushing forward the establishment of a comprehensive center for addressing security threats and a drug prevention center, aiming for significant outcomes at next year’s summit.
Fourth, we must meet public expectations by expanding people-to-people exchanges. By leveraging the roles of the SCO’s Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation Committee, we can build a digital education alliance, organize friendly forums, city twinning activities, women’s forums, youth art exhibitions, and other events to enhance the involvement and satisfaction of our respective populations.
Colleagues, as the Chinese saying goes, “Those who strive will achieve, and those who act will arrive.” Let’s continue to promote the “Shanghai Spirit,” work together with determination, interpret responsibility through our actions, and achieve prosperity by building an even better shared home.
Thank you all!”
