A view of Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province Photo: VCG

Editor's Note:

The 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit takes place in Tianjin, marking China's fifth hosting of SCO summit and the largest summit since the organization's establishment.

On June 15, 2001, the signing of the Declaration of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization officially established the SCO. Over the past 24 years, it has grown into a regional cooperation organization with the largest population and geographic coverage as well as the greatest development potential, playing an irreplaceable role in maintaining regional security, promoting economic and trade connectivity, and deepening cultural exchanges. Grounded in the Shanghai Spirit - the very root and soul of the SCO that emphasizes mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and pursuit of common development - the organization offers valuable insights for managing multilateral relations and strengthening regional cooperation.

The Global Times is launching a series of stories to discover the past, the present and the future of the Shanghai Spirit by visiting three Chinese cities that have hosted SCO summits - from Shanghai, the birthplace of the Shanghai Spirit, to Qingdao, a model for subnational cooperation, and now Tianjin, poised to open a new chapter in collaboration. They explored the impact of the SCO summits on these cities, and how they embody the Shanghai Spirit across various fields, further contributing to China's openness and international exchanges. 

This is the second installment.

"For this shot, I made a special trip to Qingdao!" This social media sensation captures the allure of the Qingdao International Conference Center (QICC), a seagull-inspired architectural at the heart of the Qingdao Olympic Sailing and Marine Culture Tourist Areas. 

When visitors stop here, they marvel not only at its sweeping vistas, but also get to delve inside to explore its legacy as the main venue for the SCO Qingdao Summit in 2018. From June 9 to 10, 2018, the 18th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was successfully held in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province. As the first summit of the SCO after its membership expansion, it was a new milestone in SCO history.

Qingdao residents cherish this unique "SCO memory." The Summit injected fresh momentum into Qingdao and Shandong Province, positioning the city as an "international reception hall" to deepen SCO ties, expand global cooperation, and elevate its openness.

As Qingdao deepens its role as a bridge between China and the global community, expats who have made the city their home through the SCO are witnessing the Shanghai Spirit come to life. Here, every negotiation and connection adds certainty to the international cooperation of the SCO, and writes a brighter future for the building of a community with a shared future for mankind across the mountains and the sea. 

'International reception hall'

A view of the Qingdao International Conference Center (QICC) Photo: Courtesy of QICC

"We envision the QICC transcending its role through architecture to become a hub of ideas, an engine of cooperation, and a melting pot of cultures," said Yang Xiao, Chairwoman of Qingdao International Conference Center Co Ltd and a witness to the 2018 Qingdao Summit. Her pride stems from overseeing the venue's transformation from Summit preparations to its current operations - a frontline in Qingdao's opening-up.

Seven years ago, during the intense Qingdao Summit preparations, Yang wore multiple hats: Building professional conference, banquet, and culinary teams while refining every service detail with a zero-tolerance policy for errors. This dedication to excellence persists today.

SCO Summit imprints remain vivid throughout QICC, from the stately Welcome Hall and the imposing Mount Tai Hall, to the preserved backdrop of the heads of state's meeting. Yang believes these details are not cold decorations but vivid historical witnesses. "They allow visitors to intuitively feel the importance of the SCO Summit."

As SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev said at 2025 SCO International Investment and Trade Expo held in Qingdao in July, Qingdao has great potential and is expected to truly become a "magnetic field" of the SCO. Today, this city has become one of the "home venues" for cooperation between China and SCO member states.  

Just recently, several official institutionalized meetings of the SCO, including the SCO Defense Ministers' Meeting, SCO Meeting of Ministers of Culture, have been successively held here, where representative member states gather as equals to forge consensus. The venue itself has hosted over 2,400 events and welcomed over 950,000 visitors.

Yang believes that the successful holding of each conference is a comprehensive display of Qingdao's development achievements, cultural heritage, and opening-up pattern.

"Every time we host an SCO event, we consistently hear international delegates praise the QICC for its professional and efficient organization, along with our attentive service," she said, emphasizing that such recognition reflects Qingdao's open-mindedness and confidence in serving as an "international reception hall."

With 2025 being the "Year of China" in the SCO, all eyes are on how China will steer the bloc toward high-quality development. Yang and her team also have a longer-term expectation: "We aim to make the venue a catalyst for Qingdao's economic and cultural exchanges. Every handshake here practices the Shanghai Spirit and proves that Qingdao welcomes the world."

Vibrant 'coss-border connection'  

A 30-kilometer taxi ride west from downtown Qingdao across Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Bridge reveals the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area (SCODA). Urban towers give way to orderly roads, modern factories, and cargo trucks speeding past - a vibrant international tableau seven years in the making.

"Locals give SCODA a resounding thumbs up when speaking about it!" a taxi driver proudly told the Global Times. "If your family works here, you must brag about it."

Saydakhmedov Said Bobur from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, shares this pride. After studying Chinese at the Qingdao City University, he joined the Enterprise Service Center of the Comprehensive Service Platform for China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation in 2021. Starting as a Russian-language interpreter explaining SCODA's history, his role has expanded to matchmaking businesses across SCO countries.

"I've been extremely busy lately. With the holding of the SCO Tianjin Summit, many inspection groups have come to visit," Saydakhmedov told the Global Times. Although he is busy, every time he facilitates a connection and hears recognition from foreign parties, he feels "it's worth it."

He still remembers the feedback from several guests: Staff from Kyrgyzstan Customs told him that the platform he worked for had helped them break through the "blocking points" in logistics and trade, making customs clearance extremely convenient; a person in charge of an agricultural enterprise in Uzbekistan found a stable trade partner with the help of the platform, praising how "SCODA has high work efficiency and thoughtful service. It's very worry-free to find cooperation here."

Behind this recognition is the support of the "one-stop" service of the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Comprehensive Service Platform. As China's first comprehensive economic and trade service platform for SCO member states, it has now formed a one-stop service system integrating the whole cycle, all elements, and the entire chain of "trade + customs clearance + logistics + finance." This system has effectively solved the difficulties faced by cross-border trade cooperation, such as low cross-border settlement efficiency, long trade customs clearance processes, and fragmented economic and trade services. By June 2025, the number of registered users on the platform had exceeded 20,000.

This job has not only helped Saydakhmedov realize his professional value, but also completely changed the trajectory of his life. He met his wife from Rizhao in Shandong and now has a child who is nearly 3 years old. The family of three lives in a community in the SCODA, leading a stable and warm life.

Like many local residents, Saydakhmedov himself has gradually developed a "sense of belonging to the SCO." He has noticed small but meaningful details of this all around the SCODA, such as how local shops often include the Chinese term for SCO - "Shanghe" - in their names, like "Shanghe Hui Bing" (braised flatbread). Unconsciously, he now naturally refers to it as "our demonstration area" when hosting guests.

Talking about the future, Saydakhmedov hopes the SCODA thrives and walks step-by-step with his "second hometown" of Qingdao toward advancing the SCO's high-quality development. He also looks forward to continuing his role as a bridge between enterprises from SCO member states, turning the opportunities in the zone into tangible cooperation results that not only enrich his own life, but also strengthen the bonds of mutual benefit across the SCO family.

Sincere 'answer sheet' for nurturing talent

International students visit the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area (SCODA) on June 25, 2024. Photo: Courtesy of SCODA

Even during the summer break, teachers at the China-SCO Institute of Economy and Trade (CSCOIET) remain busy. On August 28, Qingdao hosted a forum on the integration of science, education, economy and trade of the SCO member states, where the institute's experts gathered with scholars from multiple member states for in-depth discussions.

Upon entering the Institute's building, visitors are greeted by the Shanghai Spirit principles prominently etched on the lobby wall. "The 'Shanghai Spirit' here is not an empty slogan; instead, it is broken down and integrated into every classroom discussion, every cooperation project, every cultural activity, and the growth journey of every student," Sun Jing, a teacher from the Training Department of CSCOIET, told the Global Times.

As a professional institution dedicated to serving economic and trade cooperation between the SCO and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries, CSCOIET has delivered a solid track record in talent development since it was officially established and settled in the SCODA in 2022. To date, it has launched a total of 311 programs, including economic and trade training courses and foreign aid training courses, benefiting over 21,000 participants. Among these, 79 are customized programs specifically designed for SCO and BRI partner countries, and 2,572 students from SCO member states have embarked on new journeys from here, equipped with knowledge and opportunities.

"To ensure our courses truly meet the practical needs of students, we must avoid one-size-fits-all templates," Sun explained, highlighting the core logic behind the institute's curriculum design. Every year, the institute collects needs through multiple targeted channels: It engages with the SCO Secretariat to obtain policy directions, collaborates with the embassies of SCO member states in China to understand local industrial pain points, and carefully reviews each submission of needs brought back by previous students from their home countries. It then adjusts the curriculum content based on regional economic development trends, ensuring every course is closely aligned with the practical needs of SCO countries.

Sun still remembers the growth story of Zakariya Nurtileu, a Kazakh student from a multigenerational farming family managing 3,000 hectares, who came to China to see the country's high-efficiency machinery firsthand. During a field visit in the "China-Kazakhstan Local Agro-Enterprise Cooperation Workshop," Nurtileu grasped how Chinese harvesters could revolutionize his farm. The Institute promptly facilitated price inquiries and arranged business negotiations, leading Nurtileu to sign a machinery purchase agreement.

Nurtileu is far from alone - there are many other students at the institute who come with specific needs and leave with tangible outcomes. 

A view of the "Student Message Wall" in the corridor of the teaching building of the China-SCO Institute of Economy and Trade, which is covered with messages that reflect students' feelings about study experience, friendship, and expectations for SCO cooperation. Photo: Lin Xiaoyi/GT

In the corridor of the teaching building, the "Student Message Wall" is covered with colorful sticky notes. Languages including Chinese, Russian, Kazakh, and Indonesian are arranged in a neat yet casual way, with every line brimming with sincerity. "China is a great country full of opportunities. I love living here and learning new things!" one student said. Another commented: "The courses are very engaging, the teachers are excellent, and Qingdao is a wonderful city with beautiful architecture and a pleasant environment. The people here are kind and always ready to offer help."

From the SCO Summit legacy to the bustling trade practices in the SCODA and the Institute's persistent educational cultivation, in Qingdao, the Shanghai Spirit takes root, quietly flourishing into countless beams of cooperation that illuminate win-win pathways between China and the world.

SCO's thriving hub