ISSI hosts Seminar on “SCO’s ‘China Year 2025’: Upholding the ‘Shanghai Spirit
Islamabad : China-Pakistan Study Centre (CPSC) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) hosted a seminar, titled “SCO’s ‘China Year 2025’: Upholding the ‘Shanghai Spirit’.” Ambassador Farhat Ayesha, Pakistan’s National Coordinator for SCO, delivered the keynote address, while Ambassador Khalil Hashmi, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, was the Guest of Honor. Other speakers included Ambassador Babar Amin, Pakistan’s former National Coordinator for SCO, Dr. MA Bin from Fudan University China, Dr. Ma Zheng from Sun Yat-sen University China, and Dr. Hassan Daud Butt from Bahria University.
In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, Director General ISSI, underscored the SCO’s remarkable evolution into one of the world’s most comprehensive and dynamic multilateral platforms, calling it a compelling example of multilateralism in action. He emphasized that in an era of intensifying geopolitical tensions, the ‘Shanghai Spirit’ offers an alternative vision of cooperation — dialogue rather than dominance, consensus rather than confrontation, and collective prosperity rather than unilateral gains. He noted that with nearly half the world’s population and a quarter of global GDP, the SCO’s global salience is firmly established. Highlighting China’s Presidency in 2024–2025, he pointed to Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s five-point roadmap as a forward-looking plan rooted in the Shanghai Spirit, encompassing solidarity, collective security, win-win economic cooperation, and equitable global governance. Hailing China’s proactive Presidency and innovative approach, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood expressed the confidence that the upcoming 25th SCO Summit in Tianjin, China, on August 31-September 1 would adopt a long-term development strategy and other documents, charting the SCO’s course for the next decade and reinforcing its role in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity across Eurasia.
In her keynote address, Ambassador Farhat Ayesha noted that SCO’s “China Year 2025” marked a defining moment in the organization’s trajectory. She praised China’s far-sighted approach and active role in constructive engagement, dialogue, and cooperation within the SCO framework. She stressed that China’s leadership has strengthened the SCO’s standing as a vital multilateral platform and expanded its scope towards new areas such as poverty reduction, climate resilience, digital economy, and connectivity. She underlined Pakistan’s strong commitment to the SCO since becoming a full member in 2017 and highlighted the deep alignment between Pakistan’s foreign policy objectives and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, the SCO Charter, and international law.
Ambassador Babar Amin highlighted China’s instrumental role in facilitating Pakistan’s integration into the SCO and noted the upcoming Tianjin Summit as the largest-ever gathering of SCO members. He appreciated China’s efforts in advancing cooperation aligned with President Xi Jinping’s Global Development Initiative, covering poverty alleviation, food security, health, climate change, industrialization, digital economy, and connectivity.
Dr. MA Bin underlined that the SCO was entering a new era amidst heightened geopolitical competition, stressing the importance of strengthening security, economic cooperation, and people-to-people bonds, especially youth engagement. Dr. Ma Zheng emphasized the four pillars of SCO’s development — security, mutual development, neighborly relations, and fairness in international affairs — and lauded China’s central role in shaping the organization’s trajectory. Dr. Hassan Daud Butt noted the SCO’s resilience in a fragmenting global order and welcomed the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace pact as a step toward enhancing regional connectivity.
Guest of Honor, Ambassador Khalil Hashmi highlighted the SCO’s growing significance as a leading regional organization built on the values of mutual trust, equality, dialogue, and shared development embodied in the ‘Shanghai Spirit’. He noted that under President Xi Jinping’s leadership, the SCO had gained fresh momentum with an enhanced focus on cooperation, connectivity, digital transformation, and green development. Ambassador Hashmi emphasized Pakistan’s strong commitment to the SCO as a vital platform for countering terrorism and extremism, ensuring peace and security, and advancing sustainable development. He underlined the centrality of CPEC as not only a bilateral undertaking but also a bridge for wider SCO regional integration. Reaffirming the ‘iron brotherhood’ between Pakistan and China as the cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy, he expressed confidence that the upcoming Tianjin Summit would renew collective commitments to regional peace, prosperity, and the ‘Shanghai Spirit.’
Earlier, in his introductory remarks, Dr. Talat Shabbir, Director CPSC, underscored the SCO’s enduring relevance in ensuring regional stability, fostering economic cooperation, and strengthening cultural linkages.
The seminar concluded with a vibrant interactive session. The event was attended by a large number of diplomats, practitioners, academics, think-tank experts, students, business community representatives, and members of the media.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
