President to Lead Summit, with Focus on Security

A birdview of Qingdao city coast line, on May 2. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping will chair the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Qingdao, Shandong province, on June 9 - 10, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday.

Leaders of all SCO member and observer states, as well as heads of some major international organizations, will attend the summit, Wang said at a news briefing in Beijing.

It will be the first summit since the SCO accepted India and Pakistan as member states in Astana last year.

According to Wang, Xi will chair meetings and exchange views with participants on the SCO's current status and future development, cooperation in various areas under new circumstances and major international and regional issues.

Xi and leaders of other member states will sign and release the Qingdao Declaration, and approve cooperative documents on security, economy and humanity, including a threeyear action plan on fighting the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism.

The declaration will draw lessons from the SCO's experience of development since its establishment in 2001, continue to uphold the "Shanghai Spirit" and boost solidarity and mutual trust among member states.

The summit also will speak with a loud voice about improving global governance, consolidating the multilateral trade system and striving to create a better external development environment for member states, Wang said.

During the meeting, leaders of SCO member states will discuss new measures to improve security cooperation amid the current international and regional security situation, contributing to world peace.

Wang said the meeting also will formulate new plans to strengthen the interconnection of all parties' development strategies, including the Belt and Road Initiative, to boost regional economic cooperation.

"We hope this summit will draw an overall blueprint with a clear direction and path for the development of this organization," Wang said.

Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Russian President Vladimir Putin will make state visits to China from June 6 to 10, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Monday in Beijing.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also will pay a working visit to China, Lu said.

(Source: China Daily)