SCO Summit: A shared vision for trust, equality and prosperity

As I recall my frequent visits to China in the past several decades, I have always considered China my home away from home. The warmth and hospitality extended to me and my family, and the staunch and steadfast support given to the people of Pakistan on every occasion are cherished impressions etched in my memory.

I congratulate President Xi Jinping on hosting the Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the largest gathering of leaders since its inception, in the beautiful city of Tianjin. In March 2012, I stopped over of this vibrant metropolis which has grown exponentially since then. I wish China success, under President Xi's leadership, in advancing the core agenda of the SCO Summit. President Xi's vision of "a community with a shared future for humanity" fits perfectly into the overarching goals the organization has created for itself over the decades. Pakistan was honored to have hosted the 23rd meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of Member States of the SCO in October last year.

When the SCO started it was but a sapling but now it has become a strong and tall tree joining nations to foster cross-regional peace, stability and prosperity. These goals cannot be achieved until SCO members collectively combat the three evils of terrorism, extremism and separatism that threaten to throw our world into a state of anarchy. In a short span of time, it has become the largest regional organization comprising nearly 80 percent of the Eurasian landmass and 40 percent of global population. It is inclusive and still growing.

The SCO's contiguous geographies give us a historic opportunity to work together for economic connectivity, address common challenges such as poverty, climate change, and bio-degradation. We have to make common efforts to address the challenges of poverty, and inequality. Only then we will be able to usher in true human security anchored in a just global order. Over the past several years, the SCO's performance in countering terrorism, curbing transnational crimes especially drug trafficking, has been impressive. The summit in Tianjin gives us a platform to chart a roadmap for the next decade of holistic development for SCO members.

One of the pressing tasks for the Summit is to promote and practice true multilateralism covering not just peace and security but economic, financial, commercial and technological ties amongst nations. It is our obligation to strengthen global institutions. This would help us contain and control volatility in international markets and ensure stability. In 2024, China's trade with SCO nations rose to a whopping half a trillion dollars, which is a proof of the Organization's growing heft.

We take pride in China's rise and leadership at the regional and global stage. The relationship between our two countries is second to none and the stuff of legends that is envied by other nations. It has both depth and longevity. Our strategic cooperative partnership has been viewed and validated globally this year. We stand by and support each other on our respective core issues and common cardinal principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence. We work closely in the international forums and China has always been on Pakistan's side in the most difficult times of our history. Pakistan and China are indeed "iron brothers".

I have a special association with China. My father-in-law, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto along with the founding fathers of China – Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai – was the architect of fabled Pakistan-China friendship. My beloved wife, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, deepened our relationship; and I had, in more than a dozen visits to China, the privilege of working with the Chinese leadership, especially President Xi, for the seminal conceptualization of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and its launch. The CPEC now has become the hallmark of our friendship and a symbol of growth of Pakistan's economy.

My visit to China in February this year reinforced my conviction that although together we have made huge strides, we are destined to play an even bigger role to strengthen our bilateral ties in diverse fields – defense, cybersecurity, new technologies, energy – and make our regions both conduits and destinations for commerce and shared prosperity.

By now the world knows the SCO is not a security alliance; it is an Organization to serve humanity through economic collaboration and promotion of understanding among nations. We in Pakistan fully endorse China's vision to pursue the "Shanghai Spirit" under the banner of the SCO that gives Eurasia and all nations a framework of mutual trust, sovereign equality, and shared development.

The author is the president of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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