The 2025 Media Cooperation Forum of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Countries organized in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China ended by opening up multiple chances of cross-border media collaboration to highlight the stories from the SCO member states, its observer states and the dialogue partners.
Held under the theme “Building a Better Home Together for a Prosperous Future,” the held in the City of Urumqi witnessed 300 plus representatives from mainstream media outlets, government departments, academic institutions, scholars, researchers and enterprises from 26 SCO member states, observer states, and dialogue partners.
At a time when the world is witnessing massive economic, social, demographic, climatic and other turbulence, the speakers and the participants of the 2025 Media Cooperation Forum of SCO highlighted the need for building an impartial, objective and balanced opinion on common issues.
Since its establishment in 2001, the SCO has consistently adhered to the “Shanghai Spirit”, the principles of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, mutual consultation, respect for cultural diversity, and the pursuit of common development. The organization firmly supports the protection of the core interests and key concerns of its member states, becoming a reliable partner in their development and prosperity. Guided by the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, the SCO has achieved significant progress, deepening political trust among member states, delivering notable results in economic integration, ensuring effective security cooperation, and enriching humanitarian exchanges.
The delegates also launched an initiative to leverage digital platforms for storytelling, alongside a youth cultural exchange programme aimed at bolstering deeper interactions.
The Forum is expected to further promote media exchanges and cooperation among SCO member states, observer states, and dialogue partners.
The participants reached the consensus that by providing truthful, objective, and fair reporting, media organizations in SCO countries should elucidate the purpose and significance of cooperation among SCO countries, fostering a conducive public opinion environment for the organization’s growth.
Ma Xingrui, the Secretary of Xinjiang and a Member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party shared his readiness to extend collaboration among the SCO stakeholders for the social harmony and upholding the “Shanghai Spirit”. “This year marks the “China Year” of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Over the past 24 years of extraordinary development, the SCO has grown from its original six member states into a “big SCO family” of 26 countries, establishing itself as the world’s largest regional international organization in terms of geographical coverage and population,” he stated highlighting the significance of the SCO.
This organization has forged an effective path of peaceful development, fully demonstrating the strong vitality, cohesion, and appeal of the “Shanghai Spirit.”
We now should cover the achievements of SCO cooperation, promote the “Shanghai Spirit,” uphold development consensus, and enhance mutual understanding and friendship among the people of the SCO countries and maintain regional peace, stability, and prosperity, Santosh Paudel, a participant from Nepal shared his ideas.
Sohail Khan, Deputy Secretary-General of the SCO, who delivered a speech in the Forum, said that the SCO provides a unique platform for countries to promote peace and prosperity.
“It can bring a lot of opportunities. It is very good opportunity to start a very substantial interaction and cooperation in the field of mass media, which is a very important part of any governance in the world,” Khan observed.
The efforts of the SCO are dedicated to building a harmonious, secure, and inclusive society, he remarked, adding the SCO has become an influential regional cooperation platform since its inception.
With China holding the presidency of the SCO, the SCO has become more vibrant and the countries have enjoyed several forums for interactions, connections, mutual cooperation, meaning that China has proved its firm ability to lead the organization in a balanced way.
Interestingly, the SCO is one of the few regional organizations in the world that brings together India and Pakistan, China, Russia, the Central Asian countries, which covers almost two-thirds of the world population and large portion of economy.
The forum was co-hosted by People’s Daily and the People’s Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It featured an opening ceremony, a media dialogue session, and a launch ceremony for a youth cultural exchange program.
This forum not only helped connect through the ideas among the media professionals but served as an extended platform for mutual understanding and friendship through interactions. Meaning, the SCO Media Forum is a broader interactive tool for public diplomacy for the SCO countries.
This year’s event was attended by more than 300 media and business representatives, officials, and experts from 26 member states, dialogue partners and observers of the SCO, including China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Nepal, Myanmar, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and several others.
In the recent years, the importance of the SCO as a platform for regional collaboration amid a rapidly changing global landscape has further increased. With the rise of new technologies and the growing impact of cultural exchange, such forums play instrumental roles in connecting peoples across the world.
