Chinese premier calls for enhanced political mutual trust, practical cooperation among SCO members

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attends the 20th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) via video link at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- China stands ready to work with all members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to enhance political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, and jointly step up to the mission of promoting prosperity and stability in the region, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday.

Li made the remarks in Beijing while addressing the 20th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the SCO via video link.

Li said over the past 20 years since its founding, the SCO has followed and carried forward the Shanghai Spirit, and effectively promoted security and stability in the region and common development of SCO member states.

At present, international and regional situations continued to undergo complex and profound changes, and countries were faced with serious challenges in realizing sustainable development, he added.

"China is ready to work with other SCO members to enhance political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, and jointly step up to the mission of promoting prosperity and stability in the region," Li said.

He called on SCO members to forge a strong security shield and safeguard durable stability and security in the region.

"We need to consolidate the basis of our law enforcement and security cooperation, implement SCO legal instruments including the Program on Cooperation in Combating Terrorism, Separatism, and Extremism and the Convention on Combating Extremism, and enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics and information security," Li said.

He said SCO members should join hands in fighting the pandemic and enhance public health governance.

"We need to well harness the SCO program of alerts about major epidemic emergency caused by infectious diseases, enhance cooperation on the research and development of vaccines and medicines, and improve the mechanism of joint epidemic response," he said.

Li called for staying open for win-win results and supporting the economic recovery in all SCO countries, urging SCO members to work toward greater openness, keep improving the trade and investment environment, and raise the scale and quality of trade.

"We need to promote connectivity and ensure unimpeded flows in the regional economy," Li said.

He said SCO countries should harness the geographical advantages of SCO members, and advance the building of transportation, energy and communications networks.

Li called on SCO members to focus on people's well-being and promote green, sustainable development.

"We need to resume personnel interflow in a careful and orderly way in light of the COVID situation," Li said. "We need to deepen cooperation on environmental protection, climate change, biodiversity conservation and low-carbon economy."

China proposes establishing an SCO information sharing system for multilateral coordination on emergency response and university alliances in medicine, law and agriculture on a voluntary basis, to further broaden and deepen our cooperation on sustainable development, Li said.