TIANJIN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) convened its largest-ever summit from Sunday to Monday in Tianjin, China's northern gateway city, drawing participation from over 20 countries and 10 international organizations.

At the summit, leaders reaffirmed the Shanghai Spirit, featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and the pursuit of common development, as the bedrock of regional cooperation.

Today, amid global turbulence, this spirit has gained wider recognition for offering a cooperative vision grounded in dialogue rather than confrontation, inclusiveness rather than exclusivity, and mutual benefits rather than a zero-sum game.

That explains why the SCO can draw more and more followers, while the Shanghai Spirit can resonate so strongly worldwide.

SHARED DEVELOPMENT

At the Tianjin summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to provide 2 billion yuan (280 million U.S. dollars) in grants to SCO member states within this year.

China will also issue an additional 10 billion yuan (1.4 billion dollars) in loans to the member banks of the SCO Interbank Consortium over the next three years, Xi added. The Chinese president also called for establishing an SCO development bank as soon as possible to provide more support for economic cooperation among member states.

Over the past years, Xi has put an emphasis on boosting the SCO's sustainable development through a spectrum of initiatives and cooperative projects. He said: "True development is development for all, and good development is sustainable."

"Through China-led initiatives, the SCO can advance win-win cooperation, enhance regional stability, and foster economic growth across Eurasia," said Selcuk Colakoglu, director of the Ankara-based Turkish Center for Asia-Pacific Studies.

With its development, the SCO has grown beyond its regional roots, now comprising 10 member states along with partners across Asia, Europe and Africa, and representing nearly half the world's population.

Under the SCO framework, win-win cooperation has effectively boosted trade, travel and exchanges.

Official statistics show that China's annual bilateral trade with other SCO member states has surpassed 500 billion dollars, while its investment stock in other SCO member states has exceeded 84 billion dollars.

"Trade volumes are increasing, investments are intensifying, transport corridors and logistics chains are being developed, and digital customs solutions are being introduced," said former Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Alikbek Dzhekshenkulov.

The China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area (SCODA) has launched four TIR (International Road Transport) routes to the SCO member countries of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan -- with at least one truck departing daily for Russia or Central Asia. In the first seven months of 2025, SCODA handled 239 TIR shipments -- up 134.3 percent year on year, with cargo value skyrocketing by 190.5 percent.

"The SCO offers opportunities for cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and participation in regional logistics and investment projects," said Ahmed Sallam, former undersecretary of Egypt's State Information Service.

It has broadened the path toward sustainable development and embedded the principle of diverse partnerships, Sallam said.

MAINTAINING STABILITY

Addressing shared security challenges has been at the core of the SCO's mission since its inception in 2001 with China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

In his speech at the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO on Monday, Xi noted that SCO member states were the first to set up a military confidence-building mechanism in their border areas, and the first to take multilateral actions against the three evil forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism.

Through mechanisms such as the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), SCO member states have built a strong system to maintain regional peace and stability. The organization also regularly convenes meetings on counter-terrorism and carries out joint anti-drug operations.

In an interview with Xinhua ahead of the Tianjin summit, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said the SCO has developed a unique model of regional security and development based on multilateral cooperation.

He emphasized that the organization has proved that security challenges can be addressed not through confrontation but cooperation, such as intelligence sharing, military exercises and trust-building between countries.

The SCO "offers a new approach to international relations, distinct from Western hegemonic models," said Lukashenko, adding that the Shanghai Spirit ensures member states cooperate as equals and reach consensus.

Such efforts have brought tangible benefits. Over the past 24 years, SCO member states have prevented more than 1,400 events related to terrorism and extremism. An SCO anti-drug operation dubbed "Web" last month seized nearly 10 tons of narcotic drugs and identified 1,151 crimes related to illicit narco trafficking.

On Monday, Xi also called for putting into use the SCO Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats and the SCO Anti-drug Center.

"Security cooperation is indeed the SCO's top priority and original intention," said Ding Xiaoxing, a research fellow at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations. He said these centers could further strengthen the organization's ability to address modern security challenges, such as cyber threats, and further contribute to regional stability.

BETTER GLOBAL GOVERNANCE

Monday's summit highlight is that Xi proposed the Global Governance Initiative (GGI) at the "Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus" Meeting, which is characterized by five key principles: adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating a people-centered approach and focusing on taking real actions.

Xi called on the SCO to play a leading role and set an example in carrying out the initiative, in response to the accelerating momentous changes unseen in a century across the world.

"I look forward to working with all countries for a more just and equitable global governance system and advancing toward a community with a shared future for humanity," Xi said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday expressed support for Xi's new initiative.

"We have certainly listened attentively to everything that is proposed by Mr. Xi Jinping to create a new, more efficient and functional global governance system. This is relevant in an environment where some countries still do not give up their desire to dictate in international affairs," he said at the "SCO Plus" meeting.

Putin noted that the SCO could take on a leading role in efforts to form a more just and equal system of global governance in the world.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who attended the "SCO Plus" meeting, have also spoken highly of the GGI.

According to a latest survey conducted by China's official newspaper People's Daily, nearly 70 percent of citizens in 10 SCO member states agree that their countries have gained more opportunities to participate in global governance through the SCO.

Mladen Plese, a Croatian political analyst and former editor-in-chief of Croatia's daily newspaper Jutarnji List, said the GGI marks another major China-proposed initiative to benefit the world.

"The Global Governance Initiative advocates for sovereign equality, international rule of law and multilateralism, which are even more significant today as the world faces severe challenges," he said.

Manish Chand, founder and CEO of the Center for Global India Insights, said that the initiative will make the global governance system more representative and inclusive.

"This accommodates the aspirations and interests of developing countries and the Global South," he said.

Mauro Ramos, a journalist from the Brazilian news outlet Brazil de Fato, who was in Tianjin reporting the summit, said it is highly convincing for China to put forward the initiative, as China has achieved remarkable results in areas such as poverty alleviation and public security, offering valuable experience for other countries, especially developing ones.

"President Xi Jinping's newly proposed Global Governance Initiative complements his previously announced three major global initiatives. Together, they further enrich China's vision and solutions for promoting world peace and development, and help build consensus toward the grand goal of a community with a shared future for humanity," he said. ■