China Focus: Why is SCO Qingdao summit attracting world attention?
Scheduled for June 9-10, the summit will witness the gathering of leaders of SCO member states and observer states, as well as heads of international organizations in Qingdao, Shandong Province, Xinhua reports.
FIRST SUMMIT AFTER EXPANSION
It will be the first SCO summit after India and Pakistan were accepted as full members in June 2017 at the Astana summit in Kazakhstan.
After the expansion, the eight full members of the SCO are China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The SCO also has four observer states and six dialogue partners.
"The participation of new members will be a highlight of this year's summit," said Sheng Shiliang, researcher with the Development Research Center of the State Council.
Along with larger territorial coverage, population, and economic strength after the expansion, the SCO will also gain stronger influence and a greater say in the world, Sheng said.
The eight member countries account for over 60 percent of the Eurasian landmass, nearly half of the world's population, and more than 20 percent of global GDP.
The membership expansion is clear evidence of broader prospects for the development of the SCO, said a report jointly released by the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China and two other institutes.
With the growth of the organization, there will be more opportunities for pragmatic cooperation between the member countries, said Li Yongquan, head of the China Society for Russian, Eastern European, and Central Asian Studies.
"The issue of how to turn the potential originating from the expansion into reality and give better play to the SCO's functions and influence will become an important topic of this summit," Li said.
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