Translated by Claude, edited by Sinocism.com

Source: Xinhua | Byline: Xinhua commentator 新华社评论员 | September 2, 2026

Xinhua, Beijing, September 1 — Title: Bravely Shoulder Historical Responsibility, Jointly Write a New Chapter for the SCO — Xinhua commentator

新华社北京9月1日电 题：勇担历史责任，共谱上合新篇 新华社评论员

"Standing at a crossroads that bears on the future and destiny of humanity, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization should bravely shoulder its historical responsibility and take the initiative to steer the course of history." On the morning of September 1 local time, President Xi Jinping attended the 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Bishkek and delivered an important speech, profoundly summing up the experience and lessons of the SCO's development over the 25 years since its founding, systematically expounding China's propositions for promoting higher-quality development of the SCO, and injecting new momentum for all parties to further carry forward the "Shanghai Spirit" and promote the building of an SCO community with a shared future.

"站在关乎人类前途命运的十字路口，上海合作组织应该勇担历史责任，主动引领历史航向。"当地时间9月1日上午，国家主席习近平在比什凯克出席上海合作组织成员国元首理事会第二十六次会议并发表重要讲话，深刻总结上海合作组织成立25年来发展的经验启迪，系统阐释推动上海合作组织实现更高质量发展的中国主张，为各方进一步传承和发扬"上海精神"、推动构建上海合作组织命运共同体注入新动力。

Twenty-five eventful years bear witness to the extraordinary journey the SCO has traveled. Looking back on the SCO's development path, President Xi pointedly noted that its most significant development achievement has been to become, step by step, the new type of regional cooperation organization with the largest territorial expanse, the largest population and enormous development potential in the world; its most precious spiritual asset has been to pioneer and consistently abide by the "Shanghai Spirit" of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and the pursuit of common development; and its most important cooperation experience has been to find the correct path of coexistence — non-alignment, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party — and to encourage the countries of the region to join hands in building a common home. These three "mosts" incisively sum up the SCO's development achievements, its values and its approach to cooperation, injecting strong confidence into and pointing the way forward for the organization's future development.

25载岁月峥嵘，见证上海合作组织走过的不平凡历程。回望上海合作组织发展之路，习近平主席深刻指出，最重大的发展成就是一步步成为世界上幅员最广、人口最多、发展潜力巨大的新型区域合作组织；最宝贵的精神财富是开创性提出和始终遵循互信、互利、平等、协商、尊重多样文明、谋求共同发展的"上海精神"；最重要的合作经验是找到不结盟、不对抗、不针对第三方的正确共处之道，推动地区国家携手建设共同家园。这三个"最"，精辟总结了上海合作组织的发展成果、价值追求和合作之道，为组织未来发展注入强劲信心、指明前进方向。

Twenty-five years on, the once-in-a-century changes in the world are accelerating; dialogue and confrontation, win-win and zero-sum, multilateralism and unilateralism are locked in fierce contest, and the dark clouds of war have not receded. The SCO should bravely shoulder its historical responsibility and take the initiative to steer the course of history. Looking to the future, President Xi put forward four propositions: adhere to development as the priority and open up prospects for common prosperity; adhere to security as the essential and create an environment of universal security; adhere to a people-centered approach and deepen the foundation of friendship across generations; adhere to dialogue and consultation and improve fair and orderly governance. The "Four Adheres" respond to the concerns of all parties, emphasize an action orientation, and draw a blueprint for the SCO to achieve higher-quality development.

25年后的今天，世界百年变局加速演进，对话和对抗、共赢和零和、多边和单边激烈博弈，战争阴霾并未远去，上海合作组织应该勇担历史责任，主动引领历史航向。面向未来，习近平主席提出4点主张：坚持发展优先，开创共同繁荣的前景；坚持安全为要，营造普遍安全的环境；坚持以人为本，厚植世代友好的根基；坚持对话协商，完善公平有序的治理。"四个坚持"回应各方关切，注重行动导向，为上海合作组织实现更高质量发展擘画了蓝图。

Only development for all is true development. We must adhere to development as the priority, advocate universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, consolidate cooperation in traditional areas such as trade and investment, connectivity, and energy and resources, and expand cooperation in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, the digital economy, green industry and green minerals. Security is the precondition for development. We must adhere to security as the essential, address traditional and non-traditional security threats in a coordinated way, combat the "three evil forces," transnational organized crime, drug trafficking and telecom fraud, and strictly guard against external forces interfering in countries' internal affairs, endangering political security and undermining regional stability. Diverse civilizations and plural cultures are a distinctive feature of this region. We must adhere to a people-centered approach, give overall consideration to each country's historical and cultural characteristics, social system and stage of development, build cooperation networks among legislatures, political parties, schools, think tanks, enterprises and media, and promote people-to-people exchanges. Unity and collaboration are a fine tradition of the SCO. We must adhere to dialogue and consultation, uphold the equality of all countries large and small, insist that regional affairs be discussed and decided jointly while seeking common ground and resolving differences, properly handle contradictions and disagreements through dialogue and consultation, and meet common challenges through multilateral collaboration.

大家一起发展才是真发展，要坚持发展优先，倡导普惠包容的经济全球化，巩固贸易投资、互联互通、能源资源等传统领域合作，拓展人工智能、数字经济、绿色产业、绿色矿产等新兴领域合作；安全是发展的前提，要坚持安全为要，统筹应对传统和非传统安全威胁，打击"三股势力"、跨国有组织犯罪、毒品走私和电信诈骗，严防外部势力干涉各国内政、危害政治安全、破坏地区稳定；多样文明、多元文化是本地区鲜明特征，要坚持以人为本，统筹考虑各国历史文化、社会制度、发展阶段特点，构建立法机构、政党、学校、智库、企业、媒体等合作网络，促进民间交往；团结协作是上海合作组织的优良传统，要坚持对话协商，坚持大小国家一律平等，坚持地区事务共商共议、聚同化异，以对话协商妥处矛盾分歧，以多边协作应对共同挑战。

In promoting the better development of the SCO, China has always stressed one word: "实" (concrete results). In the year since the SCO Tianjin Summit, China has implemented the major initiatives put forward by President Xi and empowered regional development with "Chinese action." All seven application platforms — green industry, digital economy, scientific and technological innovation, energy, higher education, vocational and technical education, and artificial intelligence — have been launched, generating more than 160 projects. This time, focusing on the "Four Adheres," President Xi again put forward a series of practical measures. From building an international AI application cooperation center for SCO countries, to supporting the earliest possible launch of the SCO's "four security centers"; from hosting the SCO Forum on Innovation and Sustainable Development and the Forum on People-to-People Friendship and Friendship Cities, to proposing continued improvement of the organization's operating mechanisms to raise decision-making and implementation efficiency — these measures not only inject strong momentum into the growth of the SCO, but also provide solid support for implementing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative, and enable the organization to set an example in promoting world peace, development, cooperation and win-win outcomes.

推动上海合作组织更好发展，中方始终讲求一个"实"字。上海合作组织天津峰会召开一年来，中方落实习近平主席提出的重大倡议，以"中国行动"赋能地区发展。绿色产业、数字经济、科技创新、能源、高等教育、职业技术教育、人工智能7个应用平台全部启用，形成160多个项目。此次习近平主席聚焦"四个坚持"，再次提出一系列务实举措。从面向上海合作组织国家建设国际人工智能应用合作中心，到支持尽早启用上海合作组织"四个安全中心"；从办好上海合作组织创新和可持续发展论坛、民间友好和友好城市论坛，到倡议继续完善组织运作机制，提升决策和执行效率，这些举措不仅为上海合作组织发展壮大注入强劲动力，也为践行全球发展倡议、全球安全倡议、全球文明倡议、全球治理倡议提供坚实支撑，推动组织为促进世界和平、发展、合作、共赢作出表率。

With original aspiration unchanged, no distance will slacken us; with unwavering resolve, however hard the road, we will arrive. Standing at a new historical starting point, if all parties continue to hold high the banner of the "Shanghai Spirit," support one another and work in unity and collaboration, they will surely keep writing new chapters in the SCO's development and make new and greater contributions to promoting the security, stability, development and revitalization of the countries of the region and to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

初心不改，虽远不怠；矢志不渝，虽艰必达。站在新的历史起点上，各方继续高举"上海精神"旗帜，相互支持、团结协作，定能不断谱写上海合作组织发展新篇章，为促进地区各国安全稳定和发展振兴、推动构建人类命运共同体作出新的更大贡献。