Xi Calls on SCO to Work Toward More Just and Equitable Global Governance
Chinese President Xi Jinping urges the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to strengthen its role in promoting Eurasian prosperity, advancing the Global South and reforming global governance
As profound changes reshape the international landscape, Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to shoulder greater responsibility in promoting an equal and orderly multipolar world and building a more just and equitable system of global governance.
President Xi made the call while addressing the “SCO Plus” meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on September 1, 2026, where leaders gathered to discuss the role of the United Nations, multilateral cooperation and the evolving global order.
His message came as the SCO marks 25 years since its establishment, a period during which the organization has developed from a regional cooperation mechanism into an increasingly influential platform connecting countries across Eurasia.
According to Xi, after a quarter-century of development, the SCO now brings together nearly half of the world’s population and economies accounting for about one-quarter of global economic output. He said a more united and dynamic SCO has the capacity to contribute significantly to the continuing evolution toward a multipolar world.
A Changing International Landscape
President Xi’s remarks came against the backdrop of significant changes in the global political and economic environment.
He observed that the world is experiencing transformations unseen in a century, while hegemonism, unilateralism and protectionism continue to pose challenges to international cooperation.
At the same time, Xi highlighted the growing influence of the Global South, arguing that its rise is contributing to a profound adjustment in the international balance of power and making the trend toward multipolarity increasingly significant.
For developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America and elsewhere, debates over global governance have particular importance. Many emerging economies have long sought greater representation and a stronger voice within international institutions.
Xi’s message in Bishkek placed this issue at the centre of the SCO’s future mission: countries, regardless of their size or level of development, should be able to participate meaningfully in international affairs and benefit from global cooperation.
Three Proposals for a Stronger SCO Role
President Xi outlined three major proposals for the SCO to contribute more effectively to international development and governance.
The first is to harness the “strength of the SCO” to promote prosperity across the Eurasian continent.
Xi called for countries to further utilize their respective strengths and development potential while advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Greater connectivity among economic growth centres across Eurasia, he argued, could create new opportunities for mutually beneficial development and shared prosperity.
This vision reflects the increasingly important role of connectivity in Eurasia. Railways, highways, logistics corridors, energy networks, digital infrastructure and trade links are transforming economic relations between China, Central Asia and neighbouring regions.
The second proposal is to use “SCO wisdom” to support the development and strengthening of the Global South.
Xi called for continued adherence to the Shanghai Spirit, which emphasizes mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and pursuit of common development.
He also encouraged closer engagement with “SCO Plus” partners, with the aim of building bridges for cooperation, supporting peace and development, and expanding opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships.
The third proposal focuses directly on global governance.
Xi called for “SCO action” to help advance the reform and improvement of global governance, emphasizing partnership rather than alliances, dialogue rather than confrontation, and consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.
Under this approach, countries should be able to participate equally in global governance and share more broadly in the benefits of international development.
Development and Security Must Advance Together
Earlier on September 1, addressing the 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO, President Xi also outlined priorities for the organization’s next stage of development.
He called on the SCO to place development high on its agenda and work toward a future of shared prosperity. At the same time, he emphasized security, calling for an environment in which security can be enjoyed by all.
People-to-people relations were another important component of his message. Xi urged the organization to put people first and strengthen the social foundations needed to sustain friendship between SCO countries across generations.
China, he said, views the SCO as an important platform for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and for advancing initiatives related to global development, security, civilization and governance.
These priorities illustrate an increasingly broad conception of regional cooperation—one extending beyond traditional security concerns to trade, connectivity, sustainable development, technology and cultural exchanges.
The Shanghai Spirit After 25 Years
Since its establishment in 2001, the SCO has developed around what has become known as the Shanghai Spirit.
Its principles—mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and pursuit of common development—have provided a framework for cooperation among countries with different histories, political systems, cultures and levels of economic development.
At the Bishkek meeting, Xi argued that the organization’s 25-year experience demonstrates that major powers, neighbouring countries and states of different sizes can develop cooperative relationships based on dialogue and mutual respect.
This principle has particular significance at a time when geopolitical competition and economic fragmentation are placing pressure on existing international arrangements.
Rather than building exclusive blocs, China’s stated approach emphasizes partnerships that do not require formal alliances and cooperation that does not target third parties.
The Global South and a Multipolar World
One of the most notable themes of Xi’s Bishkek address was the increasing importance of the Global South.
Developing and emerging economies now play a much greater role in global economic growth, international trade and regional cooperation than they did when many of today’s international institutions were created.
For China, reforming global governance therefore involves expanding the representation and influence of developing countries while maintaining the United Nations as a central institution in the international system.
The China-Kyrgyzstan joint declaration issued during Xi’s visit similarly reaffirmed support for the U.N.-centred international system and an international order based on international law. The two countries expressed support for an equal and orderly multipolar world, inclusive economic globalization, true multilateralism and a more just and equitable global governance system.
From Tianjin to Bishkek
The Bishkek discussions also build on the direction established during the 2025 SCO Tianjin Summit.
At that meeting, President Xi proposed the Global Governance Initiative, setting out principles including sovereign equality, adherence to international law, multilateralism, a people-centred approach and a focus on practical action.
A year later in Bishkek, the emphasis has increasingly shifted toward how the SCO can translate those principles into regional and international cooperation.
The organization is therefore being presented not simply as a mechanism for addressing regional security issues, but as a platform capable of contributing to broader discussions about development, multilateralism and reform of international governance.
A Wider Role for the SCO
The SCO’s evolution reflects wider changes taking place across Eurasia.
China, Russia, Central Asian countries, South Asian states and other partners within the SCO framework represent diverse political, economic and cultural traditions. Their ability to cooperate on shared priorities gives the organization a distinctive position within the emerging international landscape.
President Xi’s message in Bishkek suggests that the next stage of the SCO’s development will place increasing emphasis on practical cooperation.
Economic connectivity, development, security, cultural exchanges and stronger coordination within international institutions are likely to remain important components of this agenda.
Xi also reiterated that China is prepared to work with other parties to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and support the SCO as a platform for implementing major global initiatives.
Toward Shared Development
Twenty-five years after its establishment, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization stands at another important point in its development.
Its original emphasis on regional security and mutual confidence has expanded into a much broader agenda encompassing economic development, connectivity, people-to-people exchanges and international governance.
President Xi’s Bishkek address presents a vision in which the SCO can contribute not only to stability and prosperity within Eurasia but also to the wider evolution of the international system.
At the centre of that vision is a straightforward principle: countries of different sizes, cultures and development levels should have opportunities to participate in global governance and benefit from international cooperation.
As the Global South assumes a larger role in international affairs and the world moves toward greater multipolarity, the SCO’s ability to transform these principles into tangible cooperation will ultimately determine the extent of its global influence.
For China, the direction is clear—greater dialogue rather than confrontation, partnership rather than division, development through cooperation, and a global governance system in which the benefits of progress can be more widely shared
