BEIJING: China on Tuesday said that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will be a supporting hand in resolving the differences between Pakistan and India, which attended the organisation as its full member.
“We know there are historical unresolved conflicts between Pakistan and India,” Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said in an interview with a state-run Chinese TV channel, China Global Television Network (CGTN).
“China believes the SCO can provide a better platform and opportunities for the building of good neighborly relations between Pakistan and India.”
Wang said that all SCO members have taken pledges of maintaining good relations with each other. He described the SCO as a “great vehicle” for improving ties between Pakistan and India.
Meanwhile, an article published in the Chinese publication on Tuesday stated that the admission of Pakistan and India will be a shot in the arm for political influence of the SCO.
Pakistan and India are two important nations and their entry in the SCO is, therefore, significant. With three emerging powers – China, Russia and India – included, the SCO has got a boost in its size, it said.
According to the article, some international organisations have seen their members withdrawing, but with the SCO it is different – there are quite a few countries willing to join. Openness is one of the principles of the SCO. Hence, there will be more member states to join the fold in the future. Of course, the SCO also needs some time for the new enrollments to sink in.
“Security and political cooperation will be the focus of the SCO in the future because security is not just about the region, but the entire world. Without peace and stability, there would be no development,” said the article.
It also said that after the expansion, the SCO needs to pay closer attention to the peace and stability of a larger area. China will also give top priority to security and political collaboration under the framework of the SCO.
When it comes to practical cooperation, Beijing has increased the level of interaction with other SCO member states after President Xi Jinping proposed the Belt and Road initiative. But it is clear that we have not achieved ideal results in some regions over certain issues.
The SCO summit in Qingdao over the weekend has been convened for the first time after the admission of Pakistan and India as full members in June 2017.
