MINSK, 1 June (BelTA) - China shares experience and actively implements mutually beneficial initiatives in the SCO, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Belarus Xie Xiaoyong said at the roundtable to discuss public diplomacy in cooperation between Belarus and the SCO. The event was hosted by the House of Friendship in Minsk on 31 May, BelTA has learned.
The diplomat spoke in detail about China's activities in the SCO and the concept put forward by the country to develop people's diplomacy within the framework of the organization. "Since its establishment in 2001, the SCO has become a universal organization of regional cooperation, covering 21 countries and more than 3 billion people and playing an important role in protecting regional peace and stability, promoting the joint development of all states, strengthening traditional friendship between peoples," he said. “As a founding member of the SCO, China has always adhered to the 'Shanghai spirit', i.e. mutual trust, mutually beneficial cooperation, equality, joint consultation, respect for the diversity of cultures and the pursuit of universal development, and closer ties between peoples."
The Ambassador recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed to hold the People's Diplomacy Forum at the 20th meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State in November 2020. "This proposal received a warm response and active support from all countries. The first SCO People's Diplomacy Forum was held in Wuhan in June 2021 and became another important platform to promote mutual understanding, deepen friendship and strengthen cooperation. The forum resulted in the Wuhan Initiative aimed at developing friendship between peoples and calling for joint efforts in the new environment," Ambassador Xie Xiaoyong said.
The second People's Diplomacy Forum was successfully held in Tashkent in May of this year. Representatives of non-governmental organizations of the SCO member states unanimously adopted the Tashkent Initiative, noting that the forum is an important multilateral platform for strengthening mutual trust and good-neighborly friendship.
"In promoting SCO people's diplomacy, China is not only an initiator but also a practitioner promoting people's friendship between member states through concrete actions. China actively provides the SCO member states with a quota of personnel in anti-poverty training, promotes the development of academic education and vocational training. In addition, China implements cooperation projects within the framework of the Silk Road Family Initiative in such areas as healthcare, poverty alleviation, culture and education, helping countries in need to strengthen state capacity and improve people's well-being," Ambassador Xie Xiaoyong said.
"In the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, China actively provided the SCO member states with anti-epidemic materials and vaccines, shared its experience in the field of pandemic prevention and control, diagnosis and treatment, which proved to be a great help for the SCO member states in protecting life and health,” the Chinese diplomat said.
