By+LI+LI

LEADERS of the Shanghai Co- operation Organization （SCO） member states gathered on September 11 and 12 in Dushanbe， capital of Tajikistan， for a summit that is set to chart the course of the regional groups development for the next decade.

It is particularly notable that the leaders are expected to endorse a series of legal documents that will pave the way towards the much-expected SCO expansion， infuse fresh vigor into the groups future development， and boost its influence and appeal in the international arena.

The anticipated achievement will testify to the rest of the world that the SCO is a truly open and equal platform for safeguarding regional peace and development， and not an exclusive and ambitious China-led “military alliance，”as portrayed by some Western powers.

Indeed， that the SCO was named after a Chinese city intimated that China， the worlds second largest economy， would play a leading role in the group.

However， certain commentators in the West should be reminded that leadership is not synonymous with dominance. All SCO members share equal rights in the bloc and have for years striven for their common aspirations for regional peace， common development and a more balanced international order.

“SCO members have created a new model of international relations — partnership instead of alliance，” wrote Chinese President Xi Jinping in an article published in a Tajik newspaper prior to his attendance of the SCO summit.

Founded in 2001， the SCO groups China， Kazakhstan， Kyrgyzstan， Russia， Tajikistan and Uzbekistan， covering about three-fifths of the Eurasia land mass and accounting for 14.9 percent of the global economic output.

In the beginning， these Eurasia neighbors were brought together by their shared quest to tackle the dire security situation in this region.

Northwest China and part of the Central Asia are troubled by “three evil forces” — terrorism， separatism， and extremism. Drug trafficking and transnational organized crimes run rampant in Afghanistan and Pakistan. A barrage of other unconventional security menaces are also piling up in such fields as finance， information， food， and environmental protection.

Over the past decade， SCO members have made concerted efforts within the SCO framework to deter mounting security threats and challenges through the creation of transnational anti-terror agencies and the staging of more than 10 multinational joint drills.

Nowadays， as their strategic interests become increasingly aligned and intertwined， SCO members have seen their cooperation， with economy and security as the “two wheels，” significantly expand and diversify.

China， which saw a nearly 10-fold increase in its trade with other SCO members from 2001 to 2011， has raised a host of strategic concepts for common development. They include the building of a Silk Road economic belt， which will engage and benefit all six SCO members and five observers， namely Afghanistan， India， Iran， Mongolia and Pakistan.

In the face of constantly changing international and regional landscapes， SCO members have become patrons of regional peace and partners in common development. They are destined to play bigger roles and shoulder larger responsibilities in the near future.