SCO Media and Think Tank Summit Calls for Broader Cooperation

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Media and Think Tank Summit, held in Kyrgyzstan from Sunday to Thursday, brought together about 260 representatives from nearly 150 mainstream media organizations, leading think tanks, government departments, and the SCO Secretariat across SCO countries.

Daiyrbek Orunbekov, head of the Information Policy Service of the Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan, said in a keynote speech that media organizations and think tanks shoulder great responsibilities in guiding public opinion and safeguarding trust and security among countries. He noted that coordination between them provides a reliable shield against disinformation and expressed confidence that the summit would generate new ideas and initiatives, contributing to strengthening information security within the SCO, deepening academic cooperation, and building bridges of friendship.

Xi Yanchun, vice president of Xinhua News Agency, said Xinhua has always been committed to telling SCO stories well and amplifying the SCO's voice. She called on media and think tanks to seek common ground while respecting differences, promote solidarity and mutual trust, pursue mutual benefit, drive development and revitalization, uphold openness and inclusiveness, build bridges for people-to-people exchanges, uphold fairness and justice, advocate multilateralism, and remain practical and efficient while taking the lead in action-oriented cooperation.

Mederbek Shermetaliev, director of the Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan, highlighted that digital technologies have facilitated information exchange but also brought risks such as disinformation and cybersecurity threats. He proposed that SCO member states establish regular dialogue mechanisms among think tanks, conduct joint research, cultivate young experts, promote in-depth exchanges among media professionals, and continuously deepen intellectual, information, and people-to-people cooperation.

Liu Jiangping, Chinese ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, emphasized that media and think tanks are not only chroniclers of the times but also advocates of cooperation, and their cooperation is an important way to put the Shanghai Spirit into practice. He stressed the need for objective, truthful, and comprehensive reporting, as well as in-depth and rational research, to overcome prejudice, bridge differences, enhance mutual understanding, and strengthen dialogue and cooperation.

Kadyrbek Sarbayev, a senior expert with the SCO Secretariat, said the summit will help further deepen exchanges and cooperation between media and think tanks under the SCO framework and contribute to the organization's long-term development. Mirzokhid Rakhimov, head of the Department of Contemporary History at the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, said the SCO should build on the Silk Road's legacy of exchanges among civilizations and promote regional connectivity as well as sustainable and stable development through deeper think tank exchanges.

The summit was jointly hosted by Xinhua News Agency and the Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan. During the summit, two think tank reports were released: "Contemporary Features and Global Significance of Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building" in Kyrgyz and Russian, and "Upholding Fairness and Justice and Improving Global Governance -- Achievements, Opportunities, and Prospects for SCO Cooperation" in multiple languages. According to Mehr News, the summit aims to foster broader cooperation among SCO member states.