Only development can reinforce security and maintain stability

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, throughout its 22 years of existence, has been guided by the Shanghai Spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development. As an organization focused on promoting regional cooperation and development, the SCO has been playing an important role in strengthening political, economic and security cooperation among its member states.

Since its establishment in 2001, the organization has been seeking to transform the areas covered by its member states into regions of peace, cooperation, sustainable development, prosperity and harmony. The organization was established, among other things, to promote multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation with partner countries, maintain peace and stability, and safeguard security in the region, as well as to make joint efforts to meet challenges and overcome threats, and enable member states to pursue common development.

As permanent bodies of the organization, the SCO Secretariat in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, have been playing important roles in promoting regional development, reflecting the SCO's two main goals of safeguarding security and facilitating development.

The Dushanbe Declaration on the 20th anniversary of the SCO's establishment makes clear the organization's development direction and cooperation task. To safeguard security and maintain stability in the region, the SCO is committed to fighting terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including separatism and extremism, cracking down on trafficking of drugs, weapons, ammunition and explosives, as well as strengthening information sharing and border security, and making efforts to prevent human trafficking, money laundering and economic crimes.

The SCO member states have said that their primary goal is to develop trade, deepen economic cooperation, and create favorable conditions for trade and investment based on the principles of equality, fair competition, mutual respect and mutual benefit. They have also said that since the global economy continues to face multiple challenges, which are obstructing its sustainable and balanced growth, it is important to unlock the economic cooperation potential of the SCO in fields such as trade, industry, transport, energy, finance, investment, agriculture, customs services, telecommunication and innovation to boost common development.

On the other hand, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have reaffirmed their support for the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and are jointly implementing many Belt and Road projects, and taking measures to merge the projects of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Belt and Road Initiative.

The SCO currently comprises eight full members, four observer states which are interested in becoming full members and some dialogue partners. Together, these countries cover the largest area of any regional organization and are home to the largest population in the world. And within the SCO, China is the largest trading partner of Russia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, the second-largest trading partner of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It is also the third-largest trading partner and the largest source of foreign investment for Tajikistan, and one of India's top trading partners.

The SCO countries are all at a critical stage of development, and their unique strength is being close to each other and sharing common interests. However, they need to give full play to their respective strength, stay committed to openness and cooperation, and jointly pursue development.

They also need to continue promoting free and fair trade and investment, and facilitate the orderly flow of key resources, while jointly creating growth drivers for the digital economy, green energy and modern agriculture.

To pursue these goals, the China-SCO Judicial Exchange and Cooperation Training Center, the China-SCO Agricultural Technology Exchange and Training Demonstration Base and regional economic cooperation zones will cultivate talents to help boost member states' development.

The SCO countries should also stay committed to the principle of consultation and cooperation in order to share benefits, synergize their respective development plans with the Belt and Road Initiative, expand sub-multilateral cooperation, and create more growth drivers by deepening economic cooperation. And while promoting the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, they should make efforts to ensure industry and supply chains function smoothly, promote economic integration and interconnected common development.

The SCO has been playing an important role in maintaining regional stability and boosting member states' development. Against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the SCO should also play a bigger role in terms of safeguarding global security and maintaining global stability, because security and stability are prerequisites for development, and a basic principle of the SCO. Only if member states' security is properly safeguarded can the security of the region be ensured.

Moreover, the SCO members can address their development problems, boost their economies and widen the SCO's international influence by deepening cooperation. In other words, the SCO needs to focus on security as well as development to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind in the new era.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

The author is dean of the Central Asia Studies Institute of Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi province. The views don’t necessarily represent those of China Daily.