Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) bears a greater responsibility to maintain regional peace and stability and to promote the development of various countries in a world of growing uncertainties and accelerating changes.
Xi Jinping made the remarks at a banquet to welcome international guests who are in the Chinese port city of Tianjin to attend the SCO 2025 summit from Sunday to Monday.
Before the banquet, Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan greeted guests on their arrival. At the banquet, Xi Jinping expressed his belief that through the joint efforts of all parties, the summit will be a complete success and that the SCO will certainly play an even greater role and make greater progress, thus contributing to strengthening unity and cooperation among member states, rallying the forces of the Global South and promoting the further progress of human civilization.
Established in Shanghai in June 2001, the SCO has grown from six founding members to a family of 26 nations with 10 members, two observers and 14 dialogue partners from Asia, Europe and Africa.
With major emerging markets and developing countries such as China, Russia and India among its members, the SCO represents nearly half of the world's population and a quarter of the global economy.
The Tianjin Summit is the largest annual summit of the group to date. Member states are expected to adopt key documents, including the organisation's development strategy for the next decade.
This is the second time for President Xi Jinping to host the event, with leaders from more than 20 countries and 10 international organizations in attendance. Prior to the summit, Xi Jinping held more than 10 bilateral meetings with the visiting leaders in Tianjin.
Xi Jinping told guests at the banquet that as an open and inclusive city, Tianjin serves as a pioneering zone for China's reform and opening-up, and hosting the summit here will undoubtedly inject new vitality into the SCO's sustainable development.
The SCO has become an important force in building a new type of international relations and community with a shared future for humanity, he added.
The summit includes the 25th SCO Heads of State Council and the "SCO Plus" meeting, both of which will take place on Monday.
Participants in the meeting will discuss plans for cooperation and development and work to improve global governance, Xi Jinping said.
He expressed his hope that the SCO, under the guidance of the Shanghai Spirit, would once again set sail from Tianjin towards an even brighter future.
After the banquet, Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan joined the guests in watching the art performance.
Senior Chinese officials including Cai Qi, Wang Yi, Chen Min'er and Wang Xiaohong were present at the event.
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