Editorials

SCO's decade of consensus

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-06-16 07:54

June 15 marks the 10th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). Over the years, the organization has thrived to become the guardian of regional peace and stability. Bilateral and multilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas have also flourished.

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Leaders of the six-member organization, which groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, met in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Wednesday to mark the occasion, and more importantly, to chart its future in the coming 10 years.

The attendance of President Hu Jintao at the summit underscores China's long-term commitment to the steady growth of the regional organization.

Ten years ago, it was the congruence of interest in combating the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism that drew the member nations together.

Today, Central Asia, with Afghanistan an exception, owes its generally peaceful status quo to the organization's continuous efforts to enhance regional security cooperation.

Against this rosy picture, suspicion and criticism of the organization have emerged in the international arena as it rises to meet regional security and economic development challenges. But instead of claiming that the SCO is trying to establish a NATO in the East, it would be better to say the SCO member states are determined to take regional security and development into their own hands.

The birth and development of the SCO conforms with the trend of the times, which is for peace and development. It also reflects an increasingly multipolar world.

The SCO also sets a good example to countries with different social, economic and cultural backgrounds to effectively work together for their common interests. Adherence to the "Shanghai Spirit" has made this possible. It advocates mutual trust, mutual benefits, equality, respect for cultural diversity and common development.

As political turmoil continues in West Asian and North African countries, it is only natural that the SCO member states step up their cooperation in the fields of security and common development.

However, regional security promises to pose severe challenges to the organization. The post-bin Laden era will witness a reshuffling and localization of terrorist groups in Central Asia. With the military operations of the United States in Afghanistan gradually being phasing out, that country's security outlook will become increasingly murky.

To serve the interests of its 1.52 billion people, the SCO should actively respond to these challenges and shoulder greater responsibilities in maintaining peace and stability in the region. This can only be achieved through greater solidarity and wider consensus.

It is heartening to see the Astana summit has reaped both.

(China Daily 06/16/2011 page8)