On July 7, the 22nd meeting of the SCO Ministers of Culture and a conference of tourism department leaders from SCO member states were separately held in Qingdao. Chaired by China, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the SCO, the events were attended by cultural and tourism department leaders and representatives from ten member states of the organization, and the SCO Secretary-General. Member states of the SCO will launch more outstanding cultural and tourism programs to promote high-quality cultural cooperation, thus contributing its share to accelerating the building of a global community with a shared future.

On the evening of the day, the opening ceremony of the SCO member states art festival and a youth concert were stages in the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center. Artists from home and abroad joined hands to put on a splendid artistic performance in the highlight of SCO member states’ cultural appeal and youth vitality.

There is a consensus among all attendees that over the recent years, the SCO member states have seen increasingly ties in cultural and tourist sectors, launched a ministerial conference mechanism to make exchanges more effective, devised innovative tools to establish in-depth cooperation platforms, and held “cultural year” and “tourist year” among other featured programs to enhance people-to-people bonds among the SCO member states. The SCO should continue to carry forward the “Shanghai Spirit”, step up mechanism guidance; promote respect for civilizational diversity to facilitate cultural exchanges; deepen tourist cooperation to seek common prosperity. All the member states will take advantage of the opportunity presented by the imminent SCO Tianjin Summit launch more outstanding cultural and tourism programs to promote high-quality cultural cooperation, thus contributing its share to accelerating the building of a global community with a shared future. (Ma Xiaoting)