India, Pak entry into SCO increased potential for cooperation: Xi

Beijing (China): Chinese President Xi Jinping has said with the entry of India and Pakistan, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has gained more potential for cooperation and more expectations from the international community.

In his address to the representatives to the 13th meeting of Security Council Secretaries of the SCO here yesterday, Xi said maintaining regional security and stability has been the top priority of the bloc since it was founded.

“The SCO members have fought the ‘three evil forces’ of terrorism, separatism and extremism; prevented the overflow of negative effects from hot issues; and made important contributions to keeping regional peace, development and prosperity,” Xi was quoted as saying by the state-run China Daily.

Xi pointed out that when the SCO accepted Pakistan and India last year as new members, it gained more potential for cooperation and more expectations from the international community.

Deputy National Security Adviser Rajinder Khanna, Pakistan’s NSA Nasser Khan Janjua along with top security officials of the SCO member countries called on Xi after the conclusion of their two-day meeting here yesterday.

The security officials met ahead of the SCO summit in the Chinese city of Qingdao to be held on June 9-10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to take part in the summit.

It will be the first summit of the SCO after India and Pakistan were admitted into the bloc last year.

The SCO, in which China plays an influential role, is comprised of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.

Khanna, who is also the Secretary of the National Security Council Secretariat, today called on Xi along with other Secretaries of National Security Councils attending the meeting.

In his address to the SCO security officials, Xi said the member countries have expanded areas of cooperation and enriched their experience in cooperation.

“Numerous challenges remain, including the ‘three evil forces’ plus drug smuggling and cross-border organised crime, each of which threatens the region. The risks require SCO members to handle the issues properly through correct judgments,” he said.

The SCO members should uphold the strategic direction of security cooperation, continue to boost mutual strategic trust, enhance coordination of policy, uphold justice and jointly push the resolution of regional hot issues through political and diplomatic measures, Xi said.

Xi called on the other SCO members to build up their capacity for joint security operations and build an efficient law-enforcement cooperation network.

China will continue to integrate its national security with regional security, work with SCO members to build a new type of international relations with features of mutual respect, justice and win-win cooperation; and push to build a community of shared future for mankind, Xi said.

The SCO security officials during their meeting discussed with Xi issues like fighting terrorism and the “three evil forces”, beefing up information security and maintaining social stability, the report said.

China’s Minister of Public Security Zhao Kezhi who presided over the SCO security officials meeting told reporters that the representatives reached important consensuses during the meeting.

The relevant sides have agreed to submit such documents as enhancing cooperation in fighting the “three evil forces” to the SCO summit in Qingdao for further approval, he said.