Full Text of Wang Yi's Remarks at the Video Conference for SCO Foreign Ministers

王毅出席上海合作组织成员国外长视频会议并讲话

Carrying Forward the Shanghai Spirit to Safeguard the Multilateral System

弘扬“上海精神” 守护多边体系

– Remarks by H.E. Wang Yi, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, at the Video Conference for SCO Foreign Ministers

——王毅国务委员兼外交部长在上海合作组织成员国外长视频会议上的发言

Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, 13 May 2020

2020年5月13日，北京

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov,

尊敬的拉夫罗夫外长，

Colleagues,

各位同事：

It’s good to see you at this video conference. As the international community is fighting COVID-19, our meeting today among the foreign ministers of SCO member states takes on a special significance. It reflects SCO’s fine tradition of solidarity, and demonstrates our firm resolve to work with the rest of the global community to tide over this trying time. Let me first thank Russia, the rotating chair, and Minister Lavrov for your tremendous work in putting this meeting together.

很高兴通过视频同大家见面。在国际社会抗击新冠肺炎疫情之际，我们上海合作组织各成员国外长们汇聚一堂意义特殊，体现了本组织精诚团结的优良传统，展示了与世界共克时艰的坚定决心。感谢俄方轮值主席国和拉夫罗夫外长所做的大量工作。

Since the start of COVID-19, we SCO member states have acted in the Shanghai Spirit and contributed our share to the global cooperation in concrete ways. At the most difficult moment in China’s fight against the virus, fellow member states have rendered us much-needed, invaluable support. We truly value such kindness. Similarly, our hearts go out to fellow SCO countries who are hit by COVID-19. We have shared with them control and treatment experience without any reservation, dispatched Chinese experts, provided badly-needed medical supplies and facilitated relevant purchases from China. All this has strongly supported the response efforts of relevant countries. We are convinced that under the strong leadership of our leaders, we will win the ultimate victory against the virus.

疫情发生以来，上合组织成员国弘扬“上海精神”，以实际行动为国际抗疫合作贡献了力量。在中方最艰难时刻，成员国雪中送炭，给予了宝贵支持，我们对此铭记于心。在其他成员国遭受疫情冲击时，中方感同身受，毫无保留分享防控诊疗经验，派出医疗专家组紧急驰援，提供急需医疗物资援助,协助在华开展采购，有力支持各方抗疫。相信在各成员国领导人坚强领导下，我们一定能彻底战胜疫情。

As we speak, COVID-19 infections continue to spread in the world. People’s health and safety are in grave jeopardy. The world economy is under mounting recessional pressure. SCO member states face a daunting challenge. At this difficult time, as a new type of organization for regional cooperation with the largest population, the SCO needs to continue championing the Shanghai Spirit and the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind. It needs to strengthen solidarity and coordination and act proactively. We must bring the “SCO strength” to bear on winning an early victory against the virus and getting the economic and social development back on track in the region and beyond. To this end, I wish to propose the following.

当前疫情仍在全球蔓延，各国人民健康安全受到严重威胁，世界经济衰退压力日益增大，上合组织各国也面临严峻考验。在困难面前，作为世界上人口最多的新型地区合作组织，我们应高举“上海精神”旗帜，秉持人类命运共同体理念，深化团结协作，积极担当作为，为地区和国际社会早日战胜疫情、恢复经济社会发展贡献“上合力量”。在此，我愿谈几点看法。

First, let us promote solidarity and coordination and jointly win the global fight against COVID-19. As of today, the number of confirmed cases worldwide has reached 4.1 million. Each day, tens of thousands of people are infected, and thousands of lives are lost. In the face of this grim reality and numbers, there is no more important agenda than saving lives, or more urgent task than international solidarity and cooperation.

第一，倡导团结协作，携手打赢全球疫情阻击战。目前，全球确诊人数已达410万。每一天都有数万人受到病毒感染，每一天都有数千人失去宝贵生命。在沉重的事实和数字面前，没有任何议程比挽救人的生命更重要，没有任何任务比各国团结合作更迫切。

We call on all governments to rise above differences and frictions, focus on tackling domestic infections, focus on enhancing international cooperation and focus on saving lives, in order to provide the leadership needed to win the fight against COVID-19.

我们呼吁各国政府超越分歧摩擦，集中精力应对本国疫情，集中精力开展国际合作，集中精力拯救人民生命，为战胜疫情发挥应有的领导作用。

We call on people around the world to defy pessimism and fear and reject attempts to politicize the response, label the virus, and stigmatize any specific country, in order to shore up extensive public support to win the fight against COVID-19.

我们呼吁各国人民克服悲观恐慌，反对将疫情政治化，反对把病毒标签化，反对将特定国家污名化，为战胜疫情提供广泛的民意支撑。

We call on the media across the world to observe professional ethics, adhere to science and reason, stick to facts and truth, and commit to impartiality and balance, in order to foster a conducive atmosphere for winning the fight against COVID-19.

我们呼吁国际媒体秉持职业操守，坚持科学理性，坚持客观真实，坚持公正平衡，为战胜疫情营造有利的社会氛围。

We need to deliver the SCO leaders’ statement on joint efforts against the threat of epidemics adopted at the 2018 Qingdao Summit, and formulate an action-plan as soon as possible to guide anti-epidemic cooperation. China proposes to optimize the SCO infectious disease notification mechanism, set up an SCO epidemic database and launch collective and coordinated response mechanisms in the border areas between SCO members. Effective measures should remain in place to protect the health and safety of other SCO nationals and students in our respective countries. China stands ready to provide further assistance to fellow SCO members to the best of its ability, including facilitating the purchases of medical supplies from China. At the same time, China will continue to engage in information-sharing and joint R&D of drugs and vaccines, and work with all others to build a community of health for all.

我们要落实好2018年青岛峰会通过的关于共同应对流行病威胁声明，尽快制定行动计划，为各方开展防疫合作提供指导。建议完善上合组织传染病通报机制、建立上合组织疫情数据库，构筑成员国边境地区联防联控机制。持续采取有效措施，保护好境内成员国侨民和留学生的健康和安全。中方愿继续为各方抗疫提供力所能及的帮助，包括在华采购抗疫物资，同时开展疫情信息共享、药物和疫苗研发合作，与国际社会携手打造人类卫生健康共同体。

Second, let us promote security cooperation to jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. With COVID-19 and other factors at play, the world is facing a myriad of traditional and nontraditional security risks and challenges. Common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security should remain our overarching objective. We need to consolidate mutual political trust, support each other’s efforts to safeguard political security and social stability, and take security cooperation to greater depth and breadth. We need to join hands and build stronger security safeguards.

第二，倡导安全合作，携手维护地区和平稳定。受疫情等多种因素影响，国际社会面临一系列传统和非传统安全风险挑战。我们要继续践行共同、综合、合作、可持续安全观，构筑成员国之间更牢固的政治互信，支持彼此维护好政治安全和社会稳定，不断拓展安全合作的广度和深度，协力打造更加坚实可靠的安全屏障。

We should scale up mutual support and guard against ill-intentioned attempts to sow discord. We must work together to deny terrorists, separatists and extremists any chance to wreak havoc in our region, and take forward cooperation in key areas such as counterterrorism, narcotics control and border management. Biosecurity-related risks require our close attention. In this area, we need to positively study the establishment of an SCO cooperation and consultation mechanism, strengthen communication on regional and international developments, and jointly advance the institution- and capacity-building for sound governance.

我们要加大相互支持，防止别有用心势力的分化挑拨。严防“三股势力”在本地区滋乱生事，继续推进反恐、禁毒、边防等重点方向合作。高度关注生物安全引发的问题，积极研究建立上合组织生物安全合作和磋商机制，就国际和地区生物安全形势加强沟通，共同促进生物安全治理体系和能力建设。

The Afghan peace process has come to a critical juncture. As Afghanistan's close neighbors, SCO member states are duty-bound to play our role in the political settlement of the Afghan issue. We must stay committed to the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned principle, facilitate a broad-based and inclusive peace and reconciliation process, and support Afghanistan in defending its national unity and political stability. The withdrawal of foreign troops must proceed in a responsible and orderly manner, or else terrorist groups may exploit any vacuum in the country and threaten peace in the whole region. The role of the SCO-Afghanistan contact group as a cooperation platform with Afghanistan should be fully harnessed to encourage the main political forces in Afghanistan to seize the opportunity, bridge differences, and break new ground in national reconciliation and reconstruction at an early date.

阿富汗和平进程处于关键节点。上合组织成员国都是阿富汗近邻，我们有必要也有责任为阿富汗问题的政治解决发挥应有作用。我们应坚持“阿人主导、阿人所有”原则，支持推进广泛包容性的和平和解进程，支持阿富汗维护国家统一和政局稳定，外国在阿驻军必须以负责任的方式有序撤出，防止恐怖组织在阿趁势坐大并威胁地区和平。要充分利用“上合组织—阿富汗联络组”平台同阿开展合作，鼓励阿富汗各主要政治势力抓住机遇、弥合分歧，尽早开辟实现国内和解和重建的新格局。

Third, let us promote mutual benefit and pursue common development. As things stand, we all face the pressing task of stabilizing the economy and ensuring people’s well-being. While getting prepared for a possible long-term fight against COVID-19, we must step up policy coordination and think up flexible and diverse ways to further advance Belt and Road cooperation. Such efforts will help minimize the economic and social impact of COVID-19 on our respective countries and build synergy to avert the downward risk on the world economy.

第三，倡导互利互惠，携手实现共同发展。当前，各国都面临稳经济、保民生的迫切任务。我们要根据疫情常态化防控要求，加强政策协调，采取灵活多样方式，继续推进共建“一带一路”合作，最大程度降低疫情对各国经济社会发展的影响，合力对冲世界经济的下行风险。

We must focus on keeping industrial and supply chains in our region safe and open. As long as containment measures are properly enforced at road ports on our borders, we need to support the expeditious restoration of their full cargo handling capacity. The China-Europe Railway Express, a lifeline for freight transport, should be put to best use to help our respective countries combat the virus and resume economic activity. To facilitate the movement of key business personnel and those working in essential manufacturing and service sectors and the shipment of critical supplies and raw materials, “fast lanes” and “green lanes” should be established as quickly as possible.

我们要致力于地区产业链和供应链安全顺畅运行。在确保防控要求前提下，支持边境公路口岸加快恢复过货能力。发挥中欧班列“生命线”作用，助力各国抗击疫情和复工复产。尽快为重要商务和生产技术人员往来开辟“快捷通道”，为重要物资和原材料的运输便利设立“绿色通道”。

We need to take multi-pronged measures to foster new areas of cooperation. For instance, we could speed up the commercialization of research outcomes in science, technology and innovation, and carry out cooperation in big data, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and 5G. We could increase the use of local currency settlement to jointly fend off financial risks. We welcome the decision of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to create a COVID-19 Crisis Recovery Facility, which will provide financial support to its members, SCO member states included. China will continue to follow through on the 30-billion-yuan equivalent special lending facility within the framework of the SCO Inter-bank Consortium to support member states in growing the economy and improving people’s lives. We should also actively implement the SCO Cooperation Program on Food Security, explore new ways of modern agricultural cooperation, and keep the agricultural supply and market stable in our region.

我们要多措并举打造新的合作增长点。加快科技创新成果转化，开展大数据、物联网、人工智能、5G合作。扩大成员国本币结算份额，共同防范金融风险。欢迎亚投行决定设立“新冠肺炎危机恢复基金”，向包括上合组织成员国在内的各成员提供资金支持。中方愿继续落实好上合组织银联体300亿元人民币等值专项贷款，支持成员国发展经济和改善民生。积极落实本组织粮食安全合作纲要，拓展现代农业合作的新路径，保障本地区农产品供给和市场稳定。

We need to strengthen people-to-people exchange and cultural cooperation. Our media organizations and think tanks should be encouraged to have more interactions on how to present stories of friendship and solidarity as we jointly fight the disease and pursue common development. Such accounts will help spread the positive message of mutual support and assistance in trying times and further cement public support for our wide-ranging cooperation.

我们要加强人文交流合作，支持媒体、智库开展交流，讲好团结抗疫、共同发展的友好故事，传递相互支持、守望相助的正能量，不断巩固各领域合作的民意基础。

Fourth, let us promote multilateralism and jointly defend and improve the international system. This year marks the 75th anniversary of both the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations. Yet as we speak, the UN-centered international system, established in the wake of World War II, is under attack from the increasingly rampant acts of unilateralism and bullying. In such a context, there emerges an overwhelming chorus among people around the world for the need to draw lessons from history, to safeguard the victorious outcomes of World War II, and to uphold multilateralism and improve global governance.We must uphold multilateralism, safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and maintain the international order anchored in international law. We must firmly reject self-centered moves of unilateralism, and oppose sanctions and “long-arm jurisdiction” that have no basis in international law, in an effort to uphold fairness and justice in the world.We need to seek closer exchanges and cooperation between the SCO and the United Nations and its specialized agencies. Under the current circumstances, it is of special importance that we support the role of the World Health Organization in leading and coordinating the global fight against COVID-19. We should take the initiative to offer SCO solutions to global challenges, and play a more constructive role in improving global governance.

第四，倡导多边主义，携手捍卫和完善国际体系。今年是世界反法西斯战争胜利和联合国成立75周年。但二战以来确定的以联合国为中心的国际体系正在受到单边霸凌行径越来越猖獗的破坏。以史为鉴、维护胜利成果，坚持多边主义、完善全球治理已经成为各国人民最为强烈的共同呼声。我们要高举多边主义旗帜，捍卫《联合国宪章》的宗旨和原则，维护以国际法为基础的国际秩序。我们要坚决反对谋求一己私利的单边主义，抵制没有国际法依据的各种制裁和“长臂管辖”，维护国际公平正义。我们要加强本组织同联合国及其专门机构的交流合作，尤其是要支持世卫组织在全球抗疫斗争中发挥应有的领导和协调作用。我们要就解决全球性挑战积极提出“上合方案”，为完善全球治理发挥更大的建设性作用。

Colleagues,

各位同事，

COVID-19 has affected the daily operation of this organization. In response, we must think creatively to conduct cooperation and exchange in the context of fighting the virus. China will give full support to the Russian presidency. To prepare for the Summit and other important events, we could use videoconference, online discussion and other means to coordinate positions on matters of shared interest in a timely manner and put forward new initiatives and measures to galvanize SCO cooperation in the “post COVID-19 era”.

疫情给上合组织日常运转带来不利影响，我们应创新思路，采取适合疫情防控形势的合作和交流方式。中方愿全力支持俄方主席国工作，着眼筹备峰会等重要活动，通过视频会议、在线交流等方式，及时就共同关心的问题协调立场，就各领域合作研提新倡议新举措，为“后疫情时代”本组织合作注入动力。

While COVID-19 is sure to pass, our friendship and cooperation are here to stay. I am convinced that the SCO will emerge from the COVID-19 test with even stronger cooperation and a closer bond as a community with a shared future. We have a brighter future ahead.

疫情终将过去，友好合作长存。相信经过疫情考验，上合组织的合作基础将更加坚实，上合组织命运共同体将更加牢固，上合组织的明天将更加美好！