China Considers Development Of SCO As Foreign Policy Priority - National Coordinator

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th May, 2023) China considers the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) one of its foreign policy priorities and is making every effort to develop the organization, the acting Chinese national coordinator at the SCO, Zhang Haizhou, said on Wednesday.

"China, as an SCO founder, prioritizes the organization in its foreign policy and makes great efforts for its further development and promotion," Zhang told a press conference at the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The diplomat also noted that China remains committed to the initial principles of the SCO despite all the changes in the global environment and will continue to deepen cooperation inside the organization in all spheres, oppose external interference and hegemony, as well as facilitate the development of a more equitable world order.

Additionally, Zhang said that Beijing considers the higher level of mutual trust and security cooperation among SCO countries, as well as the increased role of the organization in the international arena among the main results of its work.

He added that there are 84 mechanisms of cooperation between different departments of member states within the SCO's framework at the moment.

The SCO is an international cooperation organization founded in 2001 by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Russia and Uzbekistan. In 2017, India and Pakistan were also admitted to the organization. Belarus, Afghanistan, Iran and Mongolia are SCO observer states.