Shandong: Deepening Ties with SCO Member States

On May 28, 32 representatives from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Workers' Skills Development Exchange Camp arrived in Jinan, Shandong prior to the SCO Qingdao summit.

In the following two days, they visited the enterprises, universities and colleges of Shandong province and exchanged ideas on workers' skills training and the cultivation of craftsmanship spirit.

In recent years, Shandong province, guided by the Shanghai Spirit and the Belt and Road Initiative, has embraced the world with open arms to implement more proactive opening-up measures.

Shandong province will constantly write a new chapter in the process of building a community of shared future for the mankind and co-constructing beautiful homes through enhancing the awareness of the SCO as a big family, strengthening cooperation with SCO member states, integrating itself into the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and promoting economic and people-to-people exchanges in all respects.

Shandong province and SCO member states complement each other seamlessly in economy and trade. It meets the common aspirations to deepen the opening-up policy in all respects and pave a broad road of opening-up, connection and mutual benefit.

According to the department of commerce of Shandong province, Shandong has proactively enhanced its alignment with the international openness situation and integrated itself into the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative to promote further cooperation with SCO member states and steadily advance the cooperation in economy and trade. The total imports from SCO member states was up to 14.05 billion yuan ($2.2 billion) in the first quarter of this year.

"As SCO cooperation mechanism has been consolidated, the trade cooperation between Shandong Province and SCO member states promises a broad prospect with great growth potential in infrastructure connectivity and unimpeded trade," said Shi Qidong, deputy director of the Asian affairs office of the department of commerce of Shandong province.

Shandong province, especially for Qingdao, has actively dovetailed with national needs to focus on planning and advancing the construction of international land and sea trade corridors, projecting Qingdao Eurasian Industrial Park and establishing a demonstration zone for China-SCO local economic and trade cooperation. Taking Shandong province (or Qingdao) as the "sea gate" of the relevant countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Central Asia region and the bridgehead of Asian-Pacific countries including Japan and Korea to deliver their products into Central Asia region and covering Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe regions, it has been fostered to become the international logistics corridor of the Belt and Road Initiative local economic and trade cooperation.

"Shandong's opening-up policies have attracted more high-level talents from SCO member states to start business and study. Some of them have assisted their employers to work towards key technological breakthroughs and boost the innovation advancement. Some have devoted themselves into discipline construction, teaching reform and urgently required talents training. Some have played an active role in the construction of economic and cultural powerhouse as a bridge to facilitate cooperation and exchanges among states," said Zhang Zhuxiu, director general of Shandong provincial administration of foreign experts affairs.

The data from Shandong provincial administration of foreign experts affairs indicated that, up to now there have been 40,000 foreign talents a year launching innovation and entrepreneurship in Shandong. More than 2000 talents working in Shandong province come from SCO member states. There are three experts being introduced under Thousand Talents Plan-the Recruitment Program of Global Experts, one foreign expert receiving the Chinese Government Friendship Award, four receiving Qilu Friendship Award, 22 foreign experts receiving the "Shandong Province Double Hundred Talent Plan" prize which accounted for 23 percent of the total amount of foreign experts. They mainly study in fields such as mechatronics, biomedicine and modern agriculture, etc.

"I have worked for four years in Shandong province and I am convinced that the cooperation pattern between Russia and Shandong Academy of Sciences is filled with energy. I believe our cooperation is conducive to developing more programs in the field of high technology which will boost mutual trust and cooperation between the two peoples," said Anatoly Maltsev, a senior expert from Russian Academy of Sciences.

The Shanghai Spirit has formed a solid foundation for the existence and development of the SCO. The organization, upholding the Shanghai Spirit featuring mutual trust and benefit, equal and consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development, has since traversed a remarkable journey lasting 17 years. Over the past 17 years, the Shanghai Spirit has become the core conception as well as the invaluable legacy of international relations.

Countries are connected with amiable people-to-people exchanges. Shandong province will steadily enhance friendly communication with SCO member states through tightening people-to-people ties and promoting mental connectivity. In April of this year, five trainees from Uzbekistan participated in a Seminar on Textile and Garment Industry Planning for Developing Countries in 2018 for study. The Russian youth delegation visited Shandong province to exchange ideas, experiencing the charisma of extensive and profound traditional culture of Shandong and felt great achievements of economic and social development in Shandong. There are more international students from SCO member states studying in Shandong University, China University of Petroleum, etc.

"I love Qingdao and I really enjoy the sea, the people and dramatic changes here," said Atai, who comes from Kazakhstan and now studies in China University of Petroleum. He hopes to have the chance to settle down this civilized and beautiful coastal city.

Shandong province has always delivered the warmth of a big family for these foreign friends. Since 2011, it has proactively promoted foreign workers in Shandong province to participate in social insurance. They can enjoy equal social insurance treatment as Shandong locals so long as they satisfy the conditions. The foreign workers in Shandong province have fully felt the warmth of a big family for social insurance, professional evaluation and visa facilitation, etc.

"It has given me a sense of belongingness to participate in the social insurance of Shandong province."

"Shandong is now implementing more flexible and open policies of professional evaluation. I am the member of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; and I can report to Senior Engineer with one-step in Shandong province."

"The confirmation letter for high level foreign talents helps us to apply for a visa more conveniently which will save time."

It is filled with love, affection and stories on the land of Shandong, presenting such touching chapters.

"What's your feeling about Shandong?" When asking the same question to a number of foreign friends who come from SCO member states and the Belt and Road countries, they said answered it the same way but in different languages, "I feel good in Shandong." Perhaps this is the best praise for Shandong province.

(Source: China Daily)