China Perspective

SCO important force for peace: Chinese ambassador

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-10 15:54

ASTANA - The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), serving as a force for peace, construction and development, has played an important role on the international stage, Chinese ambassador to Kazakhstan has said.

"Being a force for peace, a force for construction and a force for development, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has played a very important role on the international stage since its establishment 10 years ago," Zhou Li told Xinhua and other Chinese media prior to a summit marking the grouping's 10th anniversary.

"Reviewing the development of the SCO, we easily find it is first of all a force for peace," Zhou said.

From the early years of "Shanghai Five Nations" to this decade since its establishment, the grouping has been always following the principles of good-neighborliness, friendship, equality, cooperation and not targeting at any third party, he said.

It advocates the democratization of international relations, supports a multipolar world and multilateralism, advocates peaceful resolution of disputes of all countries and regions through dialogue, and opposes the use of force or threat of using force and terrorism, he said.

SCO is also a force for construction, Zhou said. "Each of the SCO member states covers a vast territory with a large population. Facing a growing trend of multi-polarization and globalization, how to promote its member states' social development and national construction is a very important subject."

Since September 2001, SCO member states have signed a series of documents on regional economic cooperation, trade and investment, and established a bank union and an enterprise committee.

During the past 10 years, China, Russia and Kazakhstan have seen fast development with their economies growing at high rates, he said, noting that the SCO develops internal and external cooperation without setting any political condition as a prerequisite.

Since the outbreak of the global financial crisis, China has provided $10 billion preferential loans to other SCO member states, he said.

The SCO is also a force for development, the ambassador added.

All member states adhere to the "Shanghai Spirit," take peace and development as responsibility, support each other, enhance cooperation in various forms with other international and regional organizations, he said.

"In the development process, the SCO has received extensive attention from the international community and become a positive and thriving force on the international stage," he said.

As for relations between China and Kazakhstan, both important member states of the SCO, Zhou said during the past 20 years, bilateral ties have been developing continuously, with ever enhancing mutual trust and frequent exchange of high-level visits.

China and Kazakhstan have no fundamental conflict of interest and hold the same or similar views on major international and regional issues, he said, noting that the two economies are highly complementary.

The two countries enjoy a broad prospect of cooperation in various fields, he said.

"Deepening cooperation between China and Kazakhstan is in line with the fundamental interests of both countries and peoples and is conducive to peace, security and stability in the region and the world," he said.

On June 15, the 11th meeting of the Council of the Heads of Government of the SCO Member States will be held in the Kazakh capital.

Since last July, Kazakhstan, as the rotating presidency of the SCO, has held a series of high-level meetings and SCO member states have signed a number of important documents to prepare for a successful summit.