SCO media, think tank summit releases Zhengzhou Consensus

ZHENGZHOU, July 25 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Media and Think Tank Summit Zhengzhou Consensus was released in Zhengzhou on Friday.

The consensus was released at the ongoing SCO Media and Think Tank Summit, which is taking place in the capital of central China's Henan Province, beginning on Wednesday and ending on Sunday.

More than 400 representatives of nearly 200 media, think tanks, government agencies of SCO member states, observer states and dialogue partner countries, as well as international and regional organizations, attended the event.

The summit conducted extensive exchanges around the theme "Carrying Forward the 'Shanghai Spirit' and Jointly Building a Beautiful Homeland," and deeply explored how to better leverage the role of media and think tanks to promote the enhancement of traditional friendship and deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation among the countries of the SCO and build a closer community with a shared future for the SCO, according to the consensus.

The SCO plays an important role in enhancing good-neighborliness, friendship, unity and mutual trust among regional countries, safeguarding regional security and stability, and in promoting regional prosperity and development. SCO media and think tanks should fully play their role as a bridge and link, jointly tell the stories of Shanghai cooperation well, showcase glorious achievements of Shanghai cooperation, and contribute wisdom and strength toward advancing peace, stability, prosperity and development both regionally and globally, said the representatives.

Deepening political mutual trust and strengthening strategic alignment are crucial for ensuring the SCO's sustained and steady development as well as safeguarding national security and development interests of regional countries. SCO media and think tanks should intensify efforts to promote the publicity and interpretation of the national conditions, development paths and strategies of the SCO member states, foster enhanced communication among the countries, eliminate differences, build consensus and increase mutual trust, respect each other's development paths, safeguard each other's core interests, and jointly build a common home of the SCO, the representatives noted.

Safeguarding regional security and stability is both a common responsibility of SCO countries and an inevitable choice for jointly addressing global challenges. In the face of an international landscape fraught with changes and turbulence and in response to the common aspirations of all peoples, SCO media and think tanks should implement the Global Security Initiative, jointly amplify the SCO's propositions and actions in maintaining peace and stability, and create a favorable atmosphere for building a balanced, effective and sustainable security architecture and maintaining regional security and stability as well as world peace, according to the representatives.

They believed that achieving modernization is the common goal of all the SCO countries. SCO media and think tanks should implement the Global Development Initiative, jointly tell the vivid stories of the SCO countries promoting economic integration, development linkage and sharing of achievements, promote the further consolidation of cooperation consensus among the countries, strengthen the alignment of development strategies and regional cooperation initiatives, and create conditions for their respective prosperity and development and advancement of modernization.

Civilization becomes more colorful through exchanges and richer through mutual learning. The harmonious development of diverse civilizations is the beautiful vision of the people of SCO countries. SCO media and think tanks should implement the Global Civilization Initiative, jointly advocate respecting the diversity of civilizations, widely gather wisdom and strength of multiple entities such as governments, businesses, academic institutions and the civil society to advance inclusive coexistence of different civilizations and deepen mutual understanding and affinity among people of all countries, the representatives noted.

They called for defending true multilateralism and improving global governance as they are in the common interests of all parties to the SCO. SCO media and think tanks should promote common values of humanity, jointly disseminate the global governance concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, resound the strong voice of the time that the SCO should unite rather than divide, cooperate rather than confront, and be just rather than hegemonic, and work together to advance the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction.

This summit will help SCO media and think tanks build broad consensus, deepen practical cooperation in areas such as joint reporting, personnel training, academic exchanges and research, and contribute to regional unity, cooperation, development and revitalization. It will inject new vitality into building a closer SCO community with a shared future and advance the building of a peaceful, stable, prosperous, and beautiful homeland, the representatives said.

Under the guidance of the State Council Information Office, the summit is jointly hosted by Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the Henan Provincial People's Government.  ■