Smart cities key to driving SCO's intl influence

Officials and experts from Shanghai Cooperation Organization member countries emphasized the pivotal role cities have played in contributing to the organization's development and expanding its global influence during the thematic dialogue among leaders of SCO cities at a summit in Tianjin on Tuesday.

As China advances its modernization process, the vast experiences accumulated by Chinese cities in areas such as smart technologies, the green economy and sustainable development will provide valuable insights for future SCO cooperation, participants told the Global Mayors Dialogue?SCO Summit Cities.

With Tianjin poised to become the SCO's capital when it hosts the organization's upcoming summit in autumn, Wang Xu, executive vice-mayor of Tianjin, said that the city is moving toward the goal of building a world-class smart and green port.

Wang said that Tianjin is actively opening routes to Tashkent in Uzbekistan, Minsk in Belarus and other cities in SCO member countries.

"We are also developing a comprehensive pilot zone for cross-border e-commerce, encouraging enterprises to set up warehouses overseas. We also hope to establish a convenient digital trade platform with SCO member cities to engage in commercial logistics cooperation and supply chain collaboration," he said.

Rashid Alimov, the organization's former secretary-general, said in a video speech: "Since its founding, the SCO has grown into the world's largest trans-regional organization, influencing politics, economics and culture far beyond the Eurasian space."

This global presence would not be possible without the vibrant contributions of its cities, large and small, which serve as hubs of innovation, cultural exchange and everyday diplomacy, he said.

The SCO region is home to over 40 percent of the world's population, and at least half live in more than 1,000 cities.

Aziz Kanatbek, director of the Research Institute of Geopolitics and Strategy in Kyrgyzstan, said that as integral parts of a nation, cities have always been and remain the clearest indicators of the true state of a country's development.

"If a city is orderly, with security ensured and modern infrastructure in place, and if people can see the future and the prospects for development, it indicates that the country has the ability to govern effectively, maintain stability and shape the future," he said.

The Kyrgyz expert mentioned his visit to the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City prior to Tuesday's event, saying that his country looks forward to learning from Tianjin's experience to develop Kyrgyzstan's smart city of Asman.

Gulnar Shaimergenova, director of the China Studies Center in Kazakhstan, said that the SCO has increasingly become a people-centered platform, where human values and cultural sustainability are being translated into concrete governance practices.

"In the process of modernization, China has become a model of cultural sustainability by combining technological advancement with respect for tradition. This inspires us to draw on advanced experiences in urban governance," she said.

Parvina Mukhamadalievna Nematova, an expert with the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, said that cooperation among countries, especially within the SCO framework, is beneficial for the sustainable development of cities and the economic growth of countries.

"As China has become one of the global leaders in communication technology innovation, its experience in the digital economy and building e-government could provide an important reference for many countries, including Tajikistan," she said.

Nematova highlighted Tianjin as an important hub of the Belt and Road Initiative, saying that the city's accomplishments in urban digital transformation, and other cooperative projects within the SCO, have vigorously promoted regional partnerships, exchange of knowledge and the development of an innovative economy.

After more than 40 years of rapid development since reform and opening-up began, Tianjin has become a modern international port city. It is home to Tianjin Port, one of the world's top 10 ports with a total of 147 container routes, connecting land and sea to facilitate trade across the globe.

Sun Zhuangzhi, an expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that with the expansion of the SCO which now consists of 10 member countries, finding commonality presents more of a challenge compared to the organization's early days.

Despite its growing influence, it's necessary to further promote practical cooperation so that the organization can genuinely benefit the economic development of member countries and improve people's livelihoods, Sun said.

"The involvement of more than 1,000 cities in the SCO will make their cooperation more dynamic, thus serving not only urban governance but also helping to improve the living standards and quality of life for the people," he said.

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn