SCO Summit in Tianjin Highlights Sustainable Development Initiatives

“Sowing Seeds of Cooperation Together” — The First Supporting Event of the SCO Summit in Tianjin Focuses on Sustainable Development
The year 2025 marks the “China Year” for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). As the rotating presidency holder, China will host the 25th meeting of the Heads of State Council of SCO member countries in Tianjin this autumn. The event aims to foster breakthroughs in regional trade, increase investment in key areas, and collaboratively envision the future.
During the inaugural supporting event of the SCO Summit held on April 10th in Tianjin, it was revealed that SCO member states are eager to enhance investment cooperation in critical sectors such as energy, infrastructure, and petrochemicals, while jointly upholding the multilateral trading system to write a new chapter in regional collaboration and sustainable development.
The SCO Sustainable Development Investment Promotion event attracted nearly 400 representatives from governments and businesses of SCO member countries. Ling Ji, Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy Representative for International Trade Negotiations, stated that under the guidance of the “Shanghai Spirit,” the SCO has achieved substantial outcomes in regional economic cooperation over its 24 years of existence. As of February 2025, the SCO comprises 10 member countries, 2 observer states, and 14 dialogue partners. In 2024, the trade volume between China and SCO member states, observer countries, and dialogue partners reached a record high of $890 billion, accounting for approximately 14.4% of China’s total foreign trade, showcasing the immense vitality and broad prospects for trade development within the region.
Participants noted that there are significant complementary advantages and potential for sustainable development among SCO member states. “We continue to advance investment cooperation in oil and gas extraction, manufacturing, green energy, and the digital economy, facilitating industrial transformation across member nations and strengthening the interconnections of SCO’s industrial and supply chains,” Ling Ji added.
At the China-SCO Sustainable Development Industrial Cooperation Conference, representatives from eight countries signed a total of 18 projects in key areas such as new energy, new materials, infrastructure, and petrochemicals, with a total investment amounting to 4.795 billion yuan.
Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA) is one of China’s first national-level development zones, with an automotive and high-end equipment industry exceeding 200 billion yuan. Zeng Weipeng, Deputy Director of the TEDA Administrative Committee, mentioned that they are actively supporting enterprises to expand overseas based on the booming new energy vehicle market.
During the signing ceremony, the Jiu Zhou Yonghua Global Supply Chain (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. signed a partnership project with companies from three countries. “We are collaborating with Uzbekistan to promote more domestic fuel vehicles into the Central Asian market, and we plan to work with them to sell domestic new energy vehicles,” said Guo Danjing, the company’s General Manager, noting that nearly 3,000 vehicles were included in this agreement.
Similarly, Tianjin Jinqiao Welding Materials Group Co., Ltd. reached a cooperation agreement to export high-strength solid welding wires and low-temperature welding rods, with a contract value exceeding 70 million yuan. Participants emphasized that deepening regional investment cooperation and unleashing development potential is a common vision among SCO member states and an essential pathway to achieving regional prosperity and stability.
Lei Wentao, CEO of the China-Eurasia Economic Cooperation Fund, stated: “We are actively promoting green energy projects in Central Asia and the Middle East, supporting the sustainable and healthy development of SCO economies through investments in the green economy and green energy sectors.”
During the opening ceremony, Soheil Khan, Deputy Secretary-General of the SCO, delivered a speech. Zhang Yujing, President of the China Electromechanical Chamber of Commerce, stated: “We will continue to host project promotion and B2B negotiation activities to help Chinese and foreign enterprises expand new cooperation spaces in infrastructure, energy transition, and mineral development, while also assisting them in risk prevention and compliance management.”
Soheil Khan reiterated that the vitality of the SCO lies in practice, and the success of investment cooperation depends on concrete actions. He expressed that this event serves as an opportunity to transform consensus into a roadmap and visions into reality, creating a new chapter in regional economic cooperation and sustainable development. “SCO member states must adhere to the correct direction, work together, and jointly uphold the multilateral trading system centered around the WTO to inject certainty and positive energy into global economic development,” Ling Ji concluded.