The ‘Shanghai Spirit’ Remains Strong After 25 Years

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has moved far beyond its original purpose. Founded 25 years ago as a border-security arrangement among six Eurasian countries, it is now described as the world’s largest regional organization.

China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan created the group in Shanghai on June 15, 2001. The organization is the only international body named after a Chinese city. It now includes 10 full members, two observer states and 15 dialogue partners.

Together, its participating countries account for about half of the global population and produce roughly one-quarter of the world’s gross domestic product. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called the SCO a “big family” and has repeatedly supported its expansion. Since becoming China’s leader in 2013, he has attended every subsequent SCO summit.

Xi has consistently promoted what the organization calls the “Shanghai Spirit”: mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for civilizational diversity and a commitment to joint development. At the 2023 summit, he said, “As the saying goes, when we are on the right path, we can achieve great goals together.”

At the 2018 summit in Qingdao, Xi described the Shanghai Spirit as a shared asset of all member states. He said it moved beyond the “outdated stereotypes” of a clash of civilizations, Cold War thinking and zero-sum games. Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev likewise said the organization’s main asset was its constructive and pragmatic approach, based on equality and mutual benefit rather than the dominance of one ideology.

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As the saying goes, when we are on the right path, we can achieve great goals together.