The 2nd Television Festival of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Countries kicked off on July 16 in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

It was held by the National Radio and Television Administration, the People's Government of Shaanxi Province, and the Secretariat of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

The opening ceremony of the 2nd Television Festival of SCO Countries is held in Xi'an. [Photo/IC]

The festival focused on showcasing the cooperation achievements of SCO countries in television and radio exchanges. A total of 300 representatives from 19 SCO countries, as well as media, enterprises, international institutions, and embassies, attended the opening ceremony.

Batir Tursunov, SCO deputy secretary general, said, "I first came to Xi'an in 2019, and this is my fifth trip. Every time I visit Xi'an, it feels like my first time because the city is developing rapidly. It has a rich cultural and historical heritage, which is why I am thrilled to be here."

Many representatives also look forward to witnessing new cooperation and exchange in the audiovisual industry in this ancient city.

In recent years, SCO countries have strengthened exchanges and cooperation in television and radio broadcasting, promoting mutual learning among themselves. The festival showcased over 40 audiovisual cooperation programs, including a documentary produced by China and Kazakhstan, and an animated film produced by China, Russia, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, and Armenia.

As China's "city of short TV series", Xi'an attracted many representatives from domestic and foreign participating organizations with its booths at an audiovisual content trading market during the festival. The city's "lightweight production + precise delivery" industry model also aroused strong interest from international peers.

The market's organizer said, "The market consists of three major sections: international audiovisual content trading exhibition, content promotion conference, and cooperation signing. We are engaged in international dialogues in Xi'an, injecting new momentum into the integrated development of the audiovisual industry in SCO countries."

The 2025 Silk Road 10,000-Mile Journey, a large-scale cross-border multimedia event and one of the festival's main activities, also started from Xi'an on July 16. The journey will last for more than 40 days, via countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, showing the achievements of cultural exchanges among SCO countries.