A photo taken on August 26, 2025 shows flower decoration marking the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 on the square behind the Tianjin Railway Station in North China's Tianjin. Photo: VCG

China will enhance communication and cooperation with other Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states, actively practice true multilateralism, promote World Trade Organization (WTO) reform in the right direction, and jointly uphold the authority and effectiveness of the multilateral trading system, Chinese officials said at a press briefing ahead of the SCO summit.

The world's multilateral trading system is currently facing severe challenges with certain countries arbitrarily imposing additional tariffs and seriously violating WTO rules, undermining the legitimate interests of other WTO members, and disrupting the international economic and trade order, casting a shadow over global economic and trade development, Han Yong, an official with the Ministry of Commerce said at a Wednesday briefing on SCO economic and trade cooperation.

Since assuming the SCO rotating presidency, China has actively collaborated with other member states to address global trade volatility and support the multilateral trading system with a strong, unified voice, Han said, adding that the SCO issued a statement in April reiterating its firm commitment to safeguarding and strengthening the multilateral trading system, effectively responding to trade challenges, and emphasizing support for open, inclusive, sustainable, stable, diverse, and reliable global supply chains.

Leaders from Asia, Europe and Africa will gather in North China's Tianjin Municipality from August 31 to September 1 for the largest-ever SCO summit in history, charting the blueprint for the bloc's next decade of development, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Zhang Hong, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the tariff wars and trade disputes initiated by the US have adversely affected many countries, exacerbating their economic challenges amid an already slowing global economy.

The SCO, primarily born to address security concerns but grown into a comprehensive regional organization representing nearly half of the world's population over the years, is expected to send a clear signal to oppose unilateralism and actions that undermine the global economic stability and regional security, Zhang said. 

Following its expansion, the SCO's influence in global economy and politics continues to grow, particularly in areas such as regional governance, security, and regional economic cooperation, Zhang said. "Although bilateral consultations remain a primary means of addressing issues related to the trade war, the SCO is expected to contribute to promoting regional economic integration."

In recent years, the scale of China's trade with SCO member states has reached a record high, according to officials at the press conference. 

In 2024, trade between China and other member states totaled about $512.4 billion, up 2.7 percent year-on-year.

Also, under the guidance of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, investment collaboration within the SCO region has continued to expand, with industrial and supply chain cooperation deepening significantly, according to MOFCOM.

As of July, China's total investment stock in other SCO member states had exceeded $84 billion, with the scope of cooperation gradually extending from traditional areas such as oil and gas, minerals, processing and manufacturing and infrastructure construction to emerging fields including the digital economy and green development.

In April, the SCO released a statement pledging support for an open, transparent, just, inclusive and non-discriminatory multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, and its members are committed to promoting the development of an open world economy, according to Xinhua.