On April 20, more than 100 guests and young participants from the member states, observer states, and dialogue partners of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) gathered in Beijing for the SCO Family Youth Friendship Tree-Planting Activity. Together, they planted the Friendship Forest, a symbol of the bonds uniting the youth of the SCO family and a testament to their shared commitment to building a planet where humanity and nature coexist in harmony.

Speaking at the event, SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev said that today’s youth will grow alongside the saplings they planted, becoming both witnesses to and participants in the SCO’s green future. The Friendship Forest is not merely a scenic addition to the park in Beijing, but a vivid expression of the SCO’s diverse cultures and traditions, which are taking root, growing and flourishing in the fertile ground of mutual respect and inclusiveness. Like the trees planted today, the SCO will continue to thrive, welcoming new friends and partners along the way.

This year marks both the SCO’s “China Year” and the “SCO Year of Sustainable Development”. As the rotating presidency, China is taking concrete steps to fulfill the motto “Carrying Forward the Shanghai Spirit: SCO in Action”, working together with all parties to share experience in green development and promote high-quality growth.