QINGDAO -- The Conference on China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Local Economic and Trade Cooperation opened on Friday in Qingdao, a city in east China's Shandong Province, aiming to explore economic and trade cooperation opportunities among member states.

At the opening ceremony, the Qingdao Initiative of the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference was released, proposing institutional and mechanism innovations in six key areas, including the joint development of international logistics corridors, green and smart industrial and supply chains, and the upgrading of trade and investment quality.

Participants expressed their hopes that the initiative, along with the SCO platform, will inject new momentum into global economic cooperation.

"We can leverage the SCO platform to help our enterprises grow rapidly, find more partners, and better access international markets," said Abilov Feruz Ne'matullayevich, first deputy governor of Uzbekistan's Samarkand Region.

Meanwhile, the 2025 SCO International Investment and Trade Expo, themed "Sharing new opportunities, shaping new development", was launched alongside the conference. More than 400 enterprises from nearly 40 countries and regions are taking part.

"In the future, we will elevate the SCO Expo to a higher standard and organize specialized exhibitions by sector. Using the expo as a platform, we will continue to unleash the potential of SCO cooperation and provide fresh impetus for high-quality economic growth of the region," said Sun Jing, director of Industry Development Division III at the Administrative Committee of the SCO Demonstration Area, an international trade hub based in Qingdao that aims to foster cooperation among SCO member states.