Issues and prospects of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization development: Chinese view

Abstract

The issues and prospects of the SCO development at the present stage are considered in this article. Recently, in China, there has been upsurge of interest in the Central Asian region, especially in regard to the issue of ensuring stability and security in the region, and a lot of researches have been done to study the problems of regional security through the efforts of the SCO member countries. The SCO in its de- velopment enters a new stage, with new opportunities and new challenges. 2017 was a significant year for the SCO. In order to cope with the challenges imposed by the new international situation, the SCO member states should continue to follow the «Shanghai Spirit» and jointly create a «community of one destiny», it is also necessary to stimulate cooperation in the trade area in context of the «One belt, one way» strategy, promote comprehensive development of the SCO in the field of security and economy, actively promote the work on expanding the membership and firmly and consistently defend the inter- ests of all the SCO members on the international stage.

Key words: Shanghai Cooperation Organization, «Shanghai Spirit», Cooperation, Central Asia, ex- pansion of members, «The Belt and Road Initiative», «the Silk Road Economic Belt».