The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Monday strongly condemned recent terrorist attacks in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)’s Pahalgam as well as on Jaffar Express and in Khuzdar in Balochistan, pledging deeper multilateral cooperation and concrete measures to combat terrorism.
In a joint statement issued after the Council of Heads of State meeting in Tianjin, the participating leaders stressed that perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of such attacks must be held accountable, reaffirming their strong commitment to combating terrorism, separatism and extremism.
Underlining the unacceptable behavior of using terrorist and extremist groups for political or selfish purposes, the SCO members recognized the primary role of sovereign states in countering these threats.
The declaration, signed by all SCO members, also emphasized the importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing terrorism and its financing, noting the outcome of the International High-Level Conference on Border Security under the Dushanbe Process. The next round of the conference would take place in New York in 2026, it added.
The SCO leaders appreciated the role of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) in facilitating joint counterterrorism exercises, information-sharing, and monitoring efforts. They noted the results of the joint anti-terrorism drills “Interaction-Anti-Terror-2024” in China’s Xinjiang region last July, and affirmed readiness to expand such initiatives.
To counter extremist ideology, the declaration adopted a 2026–2030 Program of Cooperation, aimed at implementing the Convention on Countering Extremism signed in Astana in 2017. The program focuses on preventing the spread of radical ideologies, religious intolerance, xenophobia, aggressive nationalism, and racial discrimination within the SCO region.
Palestine
The SCO declaration also emphasized the need to attain a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestine issue to ensure peace and stability in the Middle East. It strongly condemned the military strikes by Israel and the United States against Iran in June 2025.
“Such aggressive actions against civilian targets, including nuclear energy infrastructure, which resulted in the death of civilians, constitute a gross violation of the principles and norms of international law and the U.N. Charter, and an infringement on the sovereignty of Iran,” it read.
The SCO members said such actions undermined regional and international security, and have serious implications for global peace and stability. “They noted that physical nuclear safety and security of nuclear facilities must be ensured on a permanent basis, including during periods of armed conflict, in order to protect the population and the environment from harm,” it added.
Bullying behavior
During his address, Chinese President Xi Jinping lamented that the global international situation was becoming more “chaotic and intertwined.” Slamming the “bullying behavior” of certain countries—an apparent reference to the United States—he said the security and development of member states had become more challenging.
“With the world undergoing turbulence and transformation, we must continue to follow the Shanghai spirit … and better perform the functions of the organization,” he said.
He also unveiled his vision for a new global security and economic order—the Global Governance Initiative—saying it prioritized the “Global South.” Calling on SCO member states to take a clear stand against hegemony and power politics, he urged them to practice true multilateralism.
“Global governance has reached a new crossroads,” he added.
According to Xi, the new framework encompasses five principles: adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, adopting a people-centered approach, and focusing on real actions.
He further called for the creation of a new SCO development bank, saying Beijing would provide 2 billion yuan ($280 million) of free aid to member states this year and a further 10 billion yuan of loans to an SCO banking consortium. He said China would also build an artificial intelligence cooperation center for SCO nations and invited them to participate in China’s lunar research station.