BEIJING, Aug. 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In the tranquil garden of the Xijiao State Guest Hotel in downtown Shanghai, beside a gentle stream, stands a quaint pavilion named “Yixing Pavilion.” This pavilion witnessed a historic moment that marked the dawn of a new era.

On June 14, 2001, it was at the pavilion that the then leaders of the “Shanghai Five,” the predecessor to the SCO, held an informal meeting. The following day, the heads of state of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and lately-joined Uzbekistan jointly signed the Declaration of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, pronouncing the launch of a new transnational cooperation organization alongside Shanghai’s iconic Huangpu River.

Shanghai, a city renowned for its openness and inclusiveness, hosted both the first and the sixth SCO summits in 2001 and 2006, respectively. Over the years, the city has not only witnessed the evolution of the SCO but has also grown alongside it.

Now, as the SCO Summit 2025 is set to kick off this Sunday in Tianjin, Pan Guang, founding director of the SCO research center at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, shared deep sentiment on the creation of the organization 24 years ago.

“The founding of the SCO was a visionary initiative,” Pan, who witnessed the organization’s establishment firsthand, told the Global Times.

A proactive response to the era

Looking back at the establishment of the SCO in 2001, the world was at a critical juncture where the old order was giving way to the new.

Pan was directly involved in the founding of the SCO. He reminisced about its origins with the “Shanghai Five.” On April 17, 1996, the leaders of the five countries signed the Agreement on Enhancing Trust in the Military Fields among the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Tajikstan at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. After several years of communication and development, on June 14, 2001, the leaders gathered in Shanghai to officially announce Uzbekistan’s accession, transforming the “Shanghai Five” into the “Shanghai Six.” The following day, the SCO was formally established with the signing of documents at the Pudong Shangri-La hotel, Pan recalled.

Pan was present at many significant moments during this process, witnessing the lively discussions among the early leaders. “However, just a few days before the official establishment of the SCO, I was unexpectedly called to Beijing to participate in a live broadcast on CCTV News to introduce the member countries of the SCO,” he said.

Pan said that the initial focus of the SCO was on security and counter-terrorism. “That was attractive to the countries of what we now call the Global South,” he told the Global Times. “Some countries gradually realized that the SCO’s approach to multilateral relations resonated more with their mindset.”

The establishment of the SCO represented China’s proactive response to the challenges of the era, showcasing its foresight on the international stage, said Ma Bin, deputy director of the Center for Shanghai Cooperation Organization Studies (CSCOS) at Fudan University in Shanghai.

The year 2001 is destined to be remembered in history. That year, China officially joined the World Trade Organization (WTO), taking a crucial step toward integrating into the global economic system. The establishment of the SCO that same year became another significant response from China in exploring regional cooperation, Ma said.

“At that time, the core question in international relations research was how China would position itself within the post-Cold War international system,” Ma told the Global Times. “Joining the WTO was China’s answer in the economic realm, while the SCO represented a practical approach in the political and diplomatic sphere – we were no longer just participants in existing international organizations, but actively building platforms to maintain regional stability and promote cooperation.”

Broader cooperation, greater recognition

On a summer night in 2006, the skyline along the Huangpu River sparkled with lights. Close to the river, the Shanghai International Conference Center at the Lujiazui financial hub welcomed familiar guests.

Five years after the SCO was officially established in Shanghai, the city once again served as the venue for the SCO summit.

That year, Ma, then a student majoring in international relations, experienced this significant international event as a volunteer at the summit’s press center. He recalled the intense interest from foreign media, particularly regarding topics such as regional security in the context of the Afghanistan war, and economic cooperation among member states. This attention made him realize that, the SCO had gradually gained greater influence on the international stage after five years of development.

It was around that time, that academic studies on the SCO began to gain more traction in China. As the birthplace of the SCO and a witness to its development, Shanghai has also taken the lead in academic research related to the SCO.

In 2005, the Shanghai-based FDU established the CSCOS, becoming the first institution in domestic universities dedicated to SCO research, according to Ma. He told the Global Times that the establishment of the center not only filled a gap in domestic academic research on the SCO at the time, but also provided a platform for integrating resources to train students from SCO member states across various disciplines.

For years, an increasing number of students from SCO member countries have come to Shanghai for their studies, being young “ambassadors” of the SCO who promote regional cooperation and friendly exchanges.

Margarita Cherkasskaya, a 27-year-old Russian doctoral student at the center, speaks fluent Putonghua. She recalled that during her undergraduate studies in regional studies, her teachers frequently mentioned the SCO, and she answered questions about it in her final exams, earning top marks. “At that time, the SCO continued to evolve, with new members, dialogue partners, and observer states joining, so I closely followed its developments,” she told the Global Times.

In the eyes of Cherkasskaya, the general public in SCO member countries is now relatively well informed about the organization and its spirit. “The SCO is a model for transnational communication and cooperation, which attracts a lot of public attention,” she said. Moreover, the SCO is not only increasingly recognized by the people of member states, but also influences them in various aspects. Cherkasskaya mentioned a young man from Kazakhstan who learned about the opportunity to apply for Chinese scholarships to study in China through the SCO Summit 2024 in Astana. He later became an overseas student in China.

Twenty-four years on, the areas of cooperation within the SCO have expanded from initial focuses on security and geopolitics to include economics, education, culture, and even archaeology. At Fudan University, for instance, history professors have participated in archaeological projects along the ancient Silk Road in Central Asia, according to Ma.

The growing cooperation across these diverse fields within the SCO framework has also gained wide recognition in member states.

A survey conducted among people aged 18-60 in 10 full member states of the SCO showed that over 80 percent of respondents believe the SCO plays a positive role in global governance, providing member states with enhanced international cooperation, increased development opportunities, access to advanced technologies, and more development experience.

Particularly, an overwhelming 95 percent of those surveyed agreed that partnering with China brings tangible benefits to their countries, said the survey jointly released by the International News Department of the People’s Daily and the Global Times Institute in May.

A city resonating with the Shanghai Spirit

From the bustling streets of Shanghai to the various global events hosted in the city, people can feel that the Shanghai Spirit has deeply intertwined with the city’s character.

Ma commented that Shanghai’s openness as an international metropolis has provided fertile ground for the nurturing of the Shanghai Spirit. Additionally, the influence of international events such as the SCO summits has further propelled Shanghai’s transformation, from merely showcasing international influence to deepening exchanges across various fields.

Shanghai has witnessed frequent economic and cultural exchanges among SCO member states. At the Greenland Global Commodity Trading Hub in the Shanghai suburbs, the Global Times reporter saw permanent pavilions from SCO member countries such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Iran, showcasing their unique products. As a year-round exhibition and trading platform for the annual China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, this venue has become a window for global exporters, including SCO member states, to reach the Chinese market.

On Tuesday afternoon, at the Iranian pavilion of the trading hub, Hossein Bordbar, an exporter and CEO of an art foundation, had just concluded an online meeting. Bordbar and his colleagues will bring some of their products, such as carpets, turquoise, saffron, and rose water, to the upcoming SCO Summit 2025 in Tianjin, where there will be a dedicated exhibition area for showcasing the culture and products of member countries.

Bordbar acknowledged the role of events like the CIIE and the upcoming SCO Summit in helping them connect with more Chinese customers. “During the fairs and exhibitions, we always make new contacts,” he told the Global Times.

Similar scenes happen almost every day in Shanghai. At the Shanghai Auto Show, automakers from SCO countries are busy negotiating collaborations; at the Shanghai International Film Festival, films from Russia and Iran attract large audiences… In various fields, these collaborations have deepened mutual understanding and friendship among SCO member states, while also promoting technological exchanges and industrial upgrades in Shanghai, resulting in numerous fruitful “two-way engagements.”

“I love the diversity of Shanghai. Here, we engage in cross-cultural exchanges, allowing us to develop ourselves and share our experiences with others,” Cherkasskaya told the Global Times in Putonghua. “Every person in this city embodies the Shanghai Spirit.”

From the pavilion at the Xijiao State Guest Hotel to the Shanghai International Conference Center at Lujiazui, and further to the year-round cycle of international exhibitions, trade fairs, forums, cultural events, and sports competitions, Shanghai has consistently witnessed the establishment and development of the SCO while embodying the Shanghai Spirit with its unique charm and open-mindedness. The dazzling lights along the Huangpu River at night reflect the brilliance of the SCO as it shines on the international stage, contributing to global peace and development with its wisdom.