How SCO opens up opportunities for regional development as it turns 25

Deep in Uzbekistan's Jizzakh Region, a vast solar farm is transforming the landscape of the Gobi Desert.

Tens of thousands of photovoltaic panels stretch across the barren land, capturing sunlight to generate clean energy.

In March, Phase I of the power plant project, built and operated by a Chinese company, began commercial operations.

Once fully completed, the project is expected to generate 1.1 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, enough to meet the needs of around 400,000 residents.

The solar plant is one of the latest examples of China-SCO cooperation translating into tangible development outcomes.

Over the past 25 years, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has expanded from a regional security mechanism into a broad platform for cooperation, with development becoming an increasingly important focus.

Prioritizing development to boost shared prosperity On Tuesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the organization's founding.

During his speech, Xi put forward four proposals for advancing the SCO's future development.

One key proposal he emphasized was to prioritize development and work toward shared prosperity among SCO member states.

He also highlighted the Shanghai Spirit, featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development, saying the Shanghai Spirit is the organization's most valuable spiritual asset.

Over the past 25 years, guided by the Shanghai Spirit, the SCO has seen growing trade, deeper investment ties and stronger regional connectivity, creating new opportunities for economic development across the region.

The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, for instance, shows how infrastructure cooperation is driving regional development.

In December 2024, its construction officially began.

Once completed, the route will become a major transport corridor linking China with Central Asia and the wider Eurasian continent, greatly improving trade efficiency and creating broader economic opportunities.