BEIJING (Bernama): China commended Malaysia’s participation as the Chair of ASEAN in the Shanghai Cooperation Summit (CSO) in Tianjin last week, said Ambassador Fan Xianrong, who is responsible for SCO international coordination.
China is pleased with Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s attendance as a guest and Asean Chairman, he said.
“Your prime minister has delivered a constructive speech giving positive attention to SCO during the summit,” he said, replying to a question from Bernama on the possibilities of SCO enhancing cooperation with Asean.
On SCO-Asean cooperation, Fan, speaking to local and foreign media on the outcome of the SCO Summit, said the organisation is open to working with any other friendly body that recognises the Shanghai Spirit.
Asked on the possibilities of SCO accepting more Asean countries as a dialogue partner, the ambassador said there are certain procedures before any country can be admitted.
During the recent SCO Summit in Tianjin, Laos was admitted as the latest dialogue partner, making it the third Asean country to achieve the status after Cambodia and Myanmar.
The SCO was formed in Shanghai in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and expanded to include, India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus. It now has two observer countries and 15 dialogue partners.
Its core philosophy is based on the Shanghai Spirit, which emphasises mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilisations and the pursuit of common development.
SCO is a major force in Eurasian affairs, covering 60 per cent of the landmass of Eurasia with member states representing almost 50 per cent of the world population.
It serves as a vital platform for dialogue and cooperation between major powers like China and Russia. – Bernama
