The key facts

  • Li Qiang spoke at the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe on October 20
  • China is ready to sponsor training for 1,000 medical specialists from SCO countries
  • Leaders signed a joint communiqué and documents on trade, industry and connectivity

Chinese Premier's speech at the SCO meeting

Chinese Premier of the State Council Li Qiang on Tuesday, October 20, spoke at the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Dushanbe. He called on the SCO to promote regional stability and prosperity and to contribute to global development. According to him, factors generating global instability and uncertainty are growing, so it is necessary to build greater consensus on fundamental principles — vision, strategic thinking, as well as practical measures and their implementation.

Multipolarity and economic globalization

Li Qiang noted that various schools of thought compete on the international stage, but multipolarity and economic globalization remain, in his words, the 'prevailing trends'. He called on SCO members to maintain a global perspective and a strong sense of responsibility, continuing to follow the 'Shanghai spirit'. 'It is especially important to seek common ground while preserving differences and to build consensus while resolving disagreements,' Anadolu quotes him as saying.

Economic initiatives

The Premier called on the organization's participants to deepen trade ties, promote regional economic integration, build a stable and resilient system of international transport corridors, and protect global production and logistics chains. He also stated that Beijing is ready to sponsor internships in China for 1,000 medical specialists from SCO countries. In his view, the organization should strive to bring together more international partners and play an active role at the global level.

Outcomes of the meeting

At the end of the meeting, the participating leaders signed and published a joint communiqué, and also approved documents on cooperation in trade and investment, industry and connectivity, as well as resolutions concerning the development of the SCO. The organization was founded in 2001 and currently unites 10 states: China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus.