The SCO Defense Ministers' Meeting Focuses on Security Cooperation

[Global Times reporter Guo Yuandan, Global Times special correspondent in Kazakhstan Li Qiang] According to the official website of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the meeting of defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (hereinafter referred to as "SCO") member states was held on the 28th in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The meeting was hosted by the Kyrgyz side, and attended by heads of defense departments of member states, the SCO Secretary-General, and the Director of the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure.

During the meeting, the parties engaged in in-depth exchanges of views on current regional and international security hotspots. It was pointed out that various challenges and threats continue to exist, including international terrorism, extremism, transnational crime, and new risks in the field of information and cybersecurity.

The defense ministers of the member states emphasized the need to further enhance mutual trust and understanding among the armed forces of member countries, deepen practical cooperation through joint military exercises, experience sharing, and improving military cooperation mechanisms within the SCO framework. Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun stated in his speech at the conference that the SCO, as a model of multilateralism, should firmly uphold the international order, jointly defend fairness and justice, and work together to improve security governance, contributing "SCO strength" to achieving the "sustainable peace, development, and prosperity" advocated by this meeting.

Zhuo Hua, an expert on international issues at the School of International Relations of Beijing Foreign Studies University, told Global Times reporters on the 29th that from the development process of the SCO and the topics of this defense ministers' meeting, the SCO has not only achieved continuous expansion of member states and covered regions, but also deepened security cooperation. This fully reflects the increasingly mature institutional construction of the SCO.

Kyrgyzstan's presidential advisor Imankulov recently stated that the current world situation, especially in the Middle East, is becoming increasingly complex, and stability and security are the priority directions for the SCO, with various risks needing to be fully taken into account. Analysts generally believe that this defense ministers' meeting marks the SCO's transition from traditional counter-terrorism security cooperation to advancing defense communication, crisis prevention, cybersecurity, and development security in a coordinated manner. Central Asian countries expect the SCO to continue to play a "stabilizing" role, providing more reliable security guarantees for peace, connectivity, and economic growth in the Eurasian region.