Li Keqiang Attends the 20th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization

On the evening of November 25, 2021, Premier Li Keqiang attended the 20th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the Great Hall of the People. Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin chaired the meeting attended by Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov, Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Mishustin, Prime Minister of Tajikistan Kokhir Rasulzoda, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov, and representatives from Pakistan, India and observer states. The event was held via video link.

Li Keqiang said in his speech, over the past twenty years since its founding, the SCO has followed and carried forward the Shanghai Spirit, and effectively promoted security and stability in the region and the common development of SCO member states. President Xi Jinping has proposed to build a closer SCO community with a shared future. At present, international and regional situations continue to undergo complex and profound changes. The world is seeing a repeated resurgence of the coronavirus, and a tortuous economic recovery. Countries are faced with serious challenges in realizing sustainable development. China is ready to work with other SCO members to enhance political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, and jointly step up to the mission of promoting prosperity and stability in the region. Li Keqiang put forward a five-point proposal:

First, we need to forge a strong security shield and safeguard durable stability and security in the region. We need to consolidate the basis of our law enforcement and security cooperation, implement SCO legal instruments including the Program on Cooperation in Combating Terrorism, Separatism, and Extremism, and enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics and information security.

Second, we need to join hands in fighting the pandemic and enhance public health governance. We need to well harness the SCO program of alerts about major pandemic emergency caused by infectious diseases, enhance cooperation on the research and development of vaccines and medicines, and raise our ability in response to public health crisis.

Third, we need to stay open for win-win results and support the economic recovery in all our countries. We need to work toward greater openness, keep improving the trade and investment environment, and raise the scale and quality of trade. We need to enhance energy policy coordination, and keep energy supply stable and secure in the region. China is willing to import more quality agricultural produce from fellow SCO members, and promote a sustainable balance in our trade.

Fourth, we need to promote connectivity and ensure unimpeded flows in the regional economy. We need to harness the geographical advantages of SCO members, and advance the building of transportation, energy and communications networks. We need to better harness the existing "fast tracks" and "green lanes", and promote the steady and sound growth of practical cooperation in the region.

Fifth, we need to focus on people's well-being and promote green and sustainable development. We need to resume personnel interflow in a careful and orderly way in light of the COVID situation, deepen cooperation on environmental protection, climate change, and low-carbon economy, and expand people-to-people exchanges. China proposes to establish an SCO information sharing system for multilateral coordination on emergency response and university alliances in medicine, law and agriculture on a voluntary basis, to further broaden and deepen our cooperation on sustainable development.

Li Keqiang said, next year, China will host the 21st Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of Member States of the SCO. We look forward to working with all parties to translate more consensus on cooperation into fruitful results to the greater benefit of people in the region and beyond.

All participants positively commended the achievements of cooperation in fields such as security, economy and trade, cultural and people-to-people exchanges over the past 20 years since the founding of the SCO. They said that the SCO has become a vital platform for all parties to develop cooperation with the countries in the region and beyond. Under the current circumstances, all parties need to step up cooperation in the research and development of vaccines and drugs, tap the potential of cooperation in economy and trade, production capacity, agriculture, connectivity and infrastructure, and expand people-to-people exchanges to inject strong impetus into the economic recovery and development of member states. All parties need to jointly address climate change, increase the use of renewable energy, and promote green transition in member states. All parties need to strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics and cyber security to maintain regional peace and stability.

Li Keqiang and the leaders of other member states signed and issued a joint communique and adopted cooperation documents and resolutions of the SCO in such fields as economy and trade.

Xiao Jie and He Lifeng attended the meeting.