Shenyang (TDI): The city of Shenyang is set to welcome delegates from across the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) region for the 2025 SCO Forum on People-to-People Friendship and the Forum on Friendship Cities, scheduled from July 3 to 5.
The high-level event aims to deepen cross-cultural connections and foster sustainable development through enhanced subnational and civil society collaboration.
Jointly organized by the SCO Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission, the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and the Liaoning Provincial People’s Government, the forum is being hosted by the Shenyang Municipal Government, with support from Liaoning’s Foreign Affairs Office and Friendship Association.
This year’s theme, “Deepening People-to-People Friendship, Advancing Sustainable Development,” will be reflected in a packed agenda that includes an opening ceremony and main forum, three parallel sub-forums, the “Under the Same Blue Sky” children’s art exhibition featuring works from SCO countries, and multiple signing ceremonies covering friendship city partnerships and economic cooperation projects. A closing ceremony and curated site visits will conclude the three-day gathering.
The forum is expected to bring together a diverse group of participants including state leaders, diplomatic envoys, local government officials, think tank experts, business representatives, and heads of friendship associations from SCO member and observer countries.
The forum opened with a welcome banquet attended by a high-level delegation of Chinese officials, underlining the importance Beijing places on people-centric diplomacy within the SCO framework. Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Nurlan Yermekbaye has also arrived in the city to participate in this important forum. Among the key Chinese dignitaries present were Shen Yueyue, Vice-Chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and President of the SCO Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission; Hao Peng, Secretary of the CPC Liaoning Provincial Committee and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Liaoning Provincial People’s Congress; and Wang Xinwei, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Liaoning Committee and Governor of Liaoning Province.
Also in attendance were Yang Wanming, President of CPAFFC; Xu Xiaolan, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC; Wang Hesheng, Member of the CPPCC and Chairman of the Red Cross Society of China; Cui Li, Vice President of the SCO Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission; Hu Sishe, Member of the CPPCC Standing Committee; and Sun Linjiang, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs.
Other notable participants included Wei Yuansong, Zhao Hongwei, Jiang Youwei, and Huo Bugang, all holding senior positions within the CPPCC and provincial party structures. The leadership of Shenyang itself was represented by Shan Yi, Vice Governor of Liaoning and Secretary of the Shenyang Municipal Committee, and Lyu Zhicheng, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shenyang Committee and Mayor of Shenyang.
Speaking at the forum, Mayor Lyu Zhicheng welcomed international delegates and reaffirmed the city’s commitment to promoting inclusive diplomacy through local-level engagement. He stated that Shenyang was honored to host dignitaries and representatives from across the SCO community and looked forward to fostering long-term partnerships based on mutual trust and cooperation.
The forum is seen as an important step toward promoting inclusive diplomacy within the SCO framework by expanding its focus beyond state-centric engagement to include city-level partnerships and civil society actors.
The event will also provide opportunities for networking and collaboration across various sectors, including culture, trade, and sustainable development.
The 2025 SCO Forum in Shenyang continues China’s effort to embed people-centered diplomacy into regional cooperation agendas, reinforcing the role of cities and communities in shaping the future of Eurasian integration.
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