(Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (OCS) assumed increased responsibilities to preserve regional peace and stability and stimulate the development of various countries in a world marked by growing uncertainties and an acceleration of changes.
Mr. XI made these remarks during a banquet organized to accommodate international guests being in the Chinese port city of Tianjin (North) to attend the 2025 OCS summit, which is held from Sunday to Monday.
Before the banquet, Mr. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan welcomed the guests when they arrived.
In his speech delivered during the banquet, Mr. Xi said he was convinced that, thanks to the concerted efforts of all the parties, the summit would be a total success and that the OSS would certainly play an even more important role and would make more progress, thus contributing more to strengthen unity and cooperation between the member states, to pool the forces of the Global South and to advance human civilization.
Founded in Shanghai in June 2001, the OCS went from six founding members to a family of 26 nations comprising ten members, two observers and 14 dialogue partners divided into Asia, Europe and Africa.
According to its members of emerging markets and major developing countries, such as China, Russia and India, the OCS represents almost half of the world’s population and a quarter of the planet’s economy.
The Tianjin summit is the largest annual summit ever organized by the group. Member States should adopt key documents, including the organization’s development strategy for the next decade.
It is also the second time that President Xi Jinping has organized this event, in which leaders of more than 20 countries and ten international organizations participate. Before the summit, Mr. XI held more than a dozen bilateral meetings with the leaders who arrived in Tianjin.
XI told guests during the banquet that as an open and inclusive city, Tianjin served as a pilot zone for the reform and the opening of China and that the organization of the summit in this place would undoubtedly breathe new vitality into the sustainable development of the OCS.
The OCS has become an important force in building a new type of international relations and a community of the future shared for humanity, he added.
The summit includes the 25th meeting of the Council of OCS Heads of State as well as the “OCS Plus” meeting, which will both be held on Monday.
Participants will discuss cooperation and development plans and will endeavor to improve global governance, noted Mr. XI.
He expressed the hope of seeing the OCS, under the orientation of the Spirit of Shanghai, sailing again from Tianjin towards an even more radiant future.
At the end of the banquet, Mr. XI and Mrs Peng joined the guests to attend an artistic performance.
High Chinese officials, including Cai Qi, Wang Yi, Chen Min’er and Wang Xiaohong, were present at the event.
(Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)
