China calls on SCO to boost security cooperation in wake of terrorism attacks

Wang Yi tells member states that recent attacks in Russia and Pakistan show there is ‘still a long way to go’ in the fight against terror

The top Chinese diplomat also said the Eurasia bloc should keep up a continuous engagement with Afghanistan and guide it towards ‘good neighbourliness’

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi addressed the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s ministerial council meeting in Astana on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:00pm, 22 May 2024Updated: 4:31pm, 22 May 2024

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi has urged the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s member states to step up coordination and lift their joint security efforts – including information sharing – to a higher level, after terror attacks in Pakistan and Moscow.

He also called for the Eurasia bloc to keep up a continuous engagement with Afghanistan, “an important close neighbour to the SCO where various terrorist forces entrenched in that area continue to pose a threat to peace and tranquillity in the region”.

Speaking at the SCO ministerial council meeting in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, Wang told his fellow foreign ministers that the recent attacks on some member states “have shown that there is still a long way to go in the fight against terrorism”.

“To that end, we must further strengthen the exchange of information, joint operations and personnel training,” he said.

Afghanistan, which borders five SCO member states – China, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Iran – received observer status in 2012 but has not taken part in the group since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

This is despite the Taliban publicly urging the SCO to invite Afghanistan representatives to its meetings.

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