2018年CRI Shanghai Spirit pivotal in central and south Asia development: experts

 

This year’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit is set to take place in the Chinese coastal¹ city of Qingdao this weekend. This year marks the 17th anniversary of the establishment of the regional grouping, and the Qingdao summit will be the first for the organization since it expanded its membership by accepting both Pakistan and India as full members. 

Now a number of leading experts in international affairs from SCO member countries say the spirit behind the organization has played a vital role in enhancing regional security and economic development in central and south Asia. 

00:00/03:48 The SCO first began in 2001 and has now grown to include China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and India as its full members, along with a number of regional countries and international organizations as observers and dialogue partners. The SCO serves to facilitate regional cooperation among its members in three main areas – politics and diplomatic affairs, trade and economics, as well as cultural and humanitarian² affairs. 

The Shanghai Spirit, which embodies³ the core values of the organization, features mutual⁴ trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation⁵, respect for diverse civilizations and pursuit of common development.

Wang Dehua is the director of South and Central Asia Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies. He says that China, which has taken this year’s rotating chairmanship of the SCO, has closely adhered to the Shanghai Spirit. 

“Recently, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said that since the last SCO summit in Astana, China has continued to implement⁶ the Shanghai Spirit, leveraging⁷ the organization’s new potential after its expansion, as well as enhancing unity⁸ and the pursuit of common development. Since then, China has hosted more than 100 meetings of multilateral cooperation mechanisms⁹ or large multilateral events under the SCO. These have effectively enhanced political trust, practical cooperation and cultural exchanges among member states,” says Wang. 

Wali Zahid is President of Institute of Media & Communications, a think tank based in Pakistan. He says the Shanghai Spirit serves as a helpful tool in rebuilding mutual trust in a region that he says has been beset¹⁰ by a historical “trust deficit¹¹."

“If we take Pakistan and India, they have fought three wars, and they have come close to wars many times. But I think being full members by both India and Pakistan of the SCO, there’s a possibility that they can start talking to each other. And we just saw an example (recently), their DMOs, the Directors of Military Operations, they decided¹² to sit together and bring the Line of Control ceasefire accord to the 2003 level,” explains Zahid. 

Beyond political cooperation, Wang Dehua says the SCO can also play an integral role in implementing¹³ the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and bring economic growth to the region. “We can say the region covered by the SCO converges¹⁴ very well with those of the Belt and Road Initiative. The population in countries within the SCO totals more than 3 billion. In terms of total area, China, Russia and India are all very large countries, and Kazakhstan. I think this region can help to demonstrate, facilitate and further develop the Belt and Road Initiative," says Wang. 

“This part of the world is beset by poverty, it is beset by a lack of development. Probably in these countries, there is very little infrastructure¹⁵. So what Belt and Road Initiative money and connectivity plans can do for Pakistan and countries in the region is this: China can bring best practice in high-level infrastructure development, so the countries can benefit,” notes Zahid. Zahid adds that with projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship program of the Belt and Road Initiative, Pakistan has already been able to better address issues including energy deficits¹⁶ and a lack of transportation networks. 

1 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

2 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

3 embodies   

v.表现( embody的第三人称单数 )；象征；包括；包含

参考例句：

• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This document embodies the concern of the government for the deformity. 这个文件体现了政府对残疾人的关怀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

5 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

6 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

7 leveraging   

促使…改变( leverage的现在分词 )； [美国英语]杠杆式投机，（使）举债经营，（使）利用贷款进行投机

参考例句：

• De-leveraging is a painful process: it has barely begun. 去杠杆化是个痛苦的过程：它才刚刚开始。
• Archimedes said, saying: Give me a fulcrum, I can leveraging the Earth. 阿基米德说过一句话：给我一个支点，我可以撬动地球。

8 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

9 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 beset   

v.镶嵌；困扰，包围

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• The plan was beset with difficulties from the beginning.这项计划自开始就困难重重。

11 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

12 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

13 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

14 converges   

v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的第三人称单数 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集

参考例句：

• The dike swarm converges on West Spanish peak. 岩脉群汇聚于西西班牙峰。 来自辞典例句
• Property 2 If 、 converge to and respectively, then also converges, and. 性质2如果级数、分别收敛于和，则级数也收敛，且其和为。 来自互联网

15 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

16 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句