How Xi cements neighborly bonds with SCO friends

BEIJING -- On July 15, President Xi Jinping received top diplomats and heads of standing bodies of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the bright, stately Fujian Hall of the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing.

"China has always prioritized the SCO in its neighborhood diplomacy, and is committed to making the organization more substantive and stronger," Xi stressed at the meeting. The pledge echoes China's years-long unremitting efforts to foster a friendly neighborhood of peace and development on the SCO stage.

China's neighborhood policy, as Xi elaborated during his recent trip in June to Astana, Kazakhstan, features a firm belief in an amicable, secure and prosperous neighborhood as well as a strong dedication to amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness.

In the coming days, Xi will host this year's SCO summit in the northern port city of Tianjin, where he and fellow organization leaders will chart strategies for promoting greater regional security and prosperity, and take solid steps toward building a closer SCO community with a shared future.