People-to-people, cultural exchanges propel development of SCO family

The 2025 Media Cooperation Forum of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Countries is held in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, May 23, 2025. (People's Daily/Jiang Yushi)

Since its founding in 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has evolved into a comprehensive regional organization with the world's largest population, the broadest geographical coverage, and enormous potential, playing an increasingly constructive role in international affairs.

Since taking over the rotating presidency of the SCO in July 2024, China has hosted more than 100 events in multiple fields as SCO chair, promoting unity, mutual trust, mutual learning, and win-win cooperation among member states.

The SCO has long prioritized women's development as a key area of cooperation. Through a range of practical steps, the organization has promoted gender equality, safeguarded women's rights, and empowered women's contributions to national and social progress. These efforts have significantly enhanced women's participation in the development of SCO countries.

During the SCO summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, in June 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced China would host the SCO Forum on Women. Since 2018, five sessions of the forum have been successfully held, creating a vital platform for dialogue and cooperation.

Recent initiatives such as the SCO Women Leaders Forum and the "Women's Perspective on the SCO" academic conference have showcased fresh highlights in women-centered people-to-people and cultural exchanges within the SCO framework. These efforts continue to inject greater women's strength into building a closer SCO community with a shared future.

A guest visits a children's arts exhibition during the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Forum on People-to-People Friendship and the Forum on Friendship Cities in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning province. (People's Daily/Hu Jingyi)

An increasing number of female experts and scholars are engaged in SCO-related research, contributing valuable insights with a pragmatic and inclusive approach. Amid rising regional and global uncertainties, women across the SCO family are actively promoting cooperation and working to find common ground among member states. As the SCO family continues to expand, female scholars and professionals have consistently advocated openness and inclusiveness, contributing wisdom to the organization's evolution.

People-to-people exchanges remain foundational to strengthening public support for the SCO. As a founding member, China has always placed great importance on such exchanges and supported a wide range of activities, especially those involving women and youth.

In recent years, China has successfully hosted events such as the SCO Art Festival, the SCO Media and Think Tank Summit, and the SCO Countries Vocational Skills Contest, remaining committed to deepening people-to-people and cultural ties among member states.

As the current rotating chair, China is taking pragmatic and efficient steps to promote infrastructure development ("hard connectivity") and policy/cultural alignment ("soft connectivity") while deepening mutual understanding among member states. Recent events such as the SCO Political Parties Forum and the Media Cooperation Forum of SCO Countries have further built consensus for deeper regional cooperation, delivering concrete benefits across the SCO region and beyond.

Going forward, the SCO should continue enhancing communication and mutual learning, strengthening people-to-people ties, and expanding cooperation in areas such as education, women's development, culture, think tanks, media, and tourism. By working together, member states can inject strong momentum into building a closer SCO community with a shared future and a brighter future for Eurasia.

Guests attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Media and Think Tank Summit visit the Dingding Gate Site Museum in Luoyang, central China's Henan province, on July 26, 2025. (Photo/Li Weichao)

(Qiang Xiaoyun is a research fellow at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies under the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in Shanghai)