SCO forum on people-to-people friendship, forum on friendship cities open in NE China

SHENYANG -- The 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Forum on People-to-People Friendship and the Forum on Friendship Cities both opened on Friday in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Shen Yueyue, vice chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairperson of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the SCO, delivered a keynote speech.

Shen said China, as the rotating chair, is hosting the forums again with the aim of further promoting friendly cooperation among the people of the SCO.

She called for maintaining unity and cooperation, carrying forward the "Shanghai Spirit," and insisting on sharing a common destiny and passing on friendship for generations to come.

"We should adhere to universal benefit and win-win results and promote common development," Shen said, while adding that all parties should stick to openness and inclusiveness -- and deepen exchanges and mutual learning.

She also called for weaving a close network of friendship and cooperation among SCO countries and promoting the building of a closer SCO community with a shared future.

Under the theme of "Deepening People-to-People Friendship, Advancing Sustainable Development," the forums issued documents titled "Consensus on actions for sustainable development of people-to-people exchanges among SCO countries" and "2025 SCO Forum on People-to-People Friendship and the Forum on Friendship Cities Shenyang Initiative," respectively.