►►The upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Tianjin summit is crucial to boosting strategic security cooperation, regional stability and economic ties, Cambodian experts said on Tuesday.
PHNOM PENH-Thong Mengdavid, a lecturer at the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy under the Royal University of Phnom Penh, said the summit holds great significance at a time when SCO member states are entering critical phases of accelerated development.
« This is a great opportunity for states to strengthen strategic security cooperation, promote regional stability and advance economic cooperation, » he told Xinhua.
Mengdavid said the summit will be an opportunity to set a new blueprint for institutional development by refining mechanisms of cooperation, consolidating consensus within the « SCO family », and reinforcing the organization’s role as a model of inclusive, multipolar cooperation.
Unlike confrontational or exclusionary models, it embodies a uniquely inclusive and non-ideological approach to international relations, he said.
Kin Phea, director-general of the International Relations Institute of Cambodia, an arm of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said in recent years, the SCO has made notable progress in diverse areas of cooperation.
He said member states have strengthened regional stability through security dialogues, intelligence exchange, and joint counter-terrorism exercises.
« Infrastructure projects have boosted connectivity, facilitating trade and deeper market integration, while cultural exchanges have nurtured mutual trust and understanding, » he told Xinhua. « Collaboration in the digital economy, particularly in e-commerce and cybersecurity, reflects a shift toward innovation-led growth. »
« Prioritizing green development, digital innovation, and capacity building, these initiatives aim to reinforce the SCO’s role in fostering integration, stability, and cultural cooperation while enhancing its ability to respond to evolving global and regional challenges, » he said.
Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said the SCO Tianjin summit will provide a golden opportunity for the common goal of promoting economic and cultural exchanges in the region and beyond.
He said this year the most imminent topic would be digital and technological development and connectivity in the region.
China is the leading country in digital and AI technologies in the world, he told Xinhua. « China is committed to enhancing cooperation and collaboration with SCO countries to create a new digital networking mechanism in the region, so all the SCO states will benefit from it. »
Matthews said China is always willing to share it knowledge, technology and prosperity with partner countries irrespective of their political and social systems.
By Xinhua
