25 years on: decoding the ‘Co’ in SCO

Summary

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) marks its 25th anniversary in 2026. From six founding members, it has grown into a family of 27 states spanning Asia, Europe and Africa, with co-operation extending beyond security into more than 50 sectors. The grouping now accounts for about half of the world's population and roughly a quarter of global GDP.

At the 2025 Tianjin Summit, leaders set a strategic blueprint for the next decade, ushering in a phase of high-quality development. Anchored in the 'Shanghai Spirit', the SCO is working towards five 'common homes': solidarity and mutual trust, peace and tranquillity, prosperity and development, good-neighbourliness and friendship, and fairness and justice.

Commentary

The SCO's growth from six to 27 members in 25 years – representing nearly half the world's population and a quarter of global output – signals a shift from security-focused co-operation towards deeper economic integration. For New Zealand SMEs, trade facilitation inside the bloc, including infrastructure such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, could re-shape Eurasian logistics and lower entry costs to Central Asian markets. Yet the SCO lacks a unified customs union, and wide divergence in standards and regulations means direct exports of dairy and meat products still face quarantine and local-content requirements.

As a dialogue partner, New Zealand can draw on China's co-ordinating role within the group, entering first through technical services and agritech before building brand and distribution channels. Avoiding the commodity red ocean and focusing on high-value-added niches may be the pragmatic route.

Keywords: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Shanghai Spirit, 25th anniversary, member states, Tianjin Summit, common homes

Source: Xinhua Net