Making progress together

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). So what do you know about the SCO?
今年是上海合作组织（SCO）成立20周年。对于上合组织，你了解多少?

Artykbaev Beketai, a student from Kyrgyzstan who has lived in Beijing for more than five years, has lots to say.
阿尔特克巴耶夫·别克泰是一名来自吉尔吉斯斯坦的学生，他在北京生活了五年多，有许多话要说。

Beketai is a member of the SCOLAR Network Youth Platform, which is affiliated with the SCO Secretariat. Scolar stands for Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Leaders with Aspiration and Respect. It brings together talents from 18 countries to strengthen connectivity, promote dialogue and create social impact through projects in three key fields: education, culture and entrepreneurship.
别克泰是上合国家青年平台（SCOLAR）的成员，该平台隶属于上合组织秘书处。Scolar代表 “上海合作组织胸怀壮志并彼此尊重的青年领袖”。上合国家青年平台汇集了来自18个国家的人才，通过教育、文化和创业三个重点领域的项目，加强互联互通，促进对话，产生社会影响。

Beketai told China Report Press that the SCO has provided members of the SCOLAR network with a lot of help, such as chances for cultural exchanges, resources for academic research and business opportunities.
别克泰在接受《中国报道》杂志采访时表示，上海合作组织为上合国家青年平台成员国提供了许多帮助，如提供文化交流机会、学术研究资源和商机。

The youth platform is a project based on the SCO’s aspiration of cooperation and exchanges.
该青年平台基于上合组织合作、交流的意愿而诞生。

The SCO was established to ensure security while promoting common development among member states. Set up in 2001 by six founding members – China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – the SCO expanded to eight members, with India and Pakistan joining in 2017. Together with its four observer countries and six dialogue partners, the organization covers three-fifths of the Eurasian continent and nearly half of the world’s population. The core of the SCO is the Shanghai Spirit, featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for cultural diversity and the pursuit of common development.
上海合作组织旨在旨在加强成员国睦邻互信和友好合作，维护地区安全稳定，促进地区和成员国的经济发展。上合组织由中国、哈萨克斯坦、吉尔吉斯斯坦、俄罗斯、塔吉克斯坦和乌兹别克斯坦6个初始成员国于2001年成立，后印度和巴基斯坦于2017年加入。加上4个观察员国和6个对话伙伴国，上合组织总面积占欧亚大陆的五分之三，人口总和占世界近一半。上合组织的核心价值是“上海精神”，即“互信、互利、平等、协商、尊重多样文明、谋求共同发展。”

Over the past 20 years, the SCO has made remarkable achievements, noted Xinhua.
新华社指出，上海合作组织成立20年来取得了辉煌成绩。

The overall security and stability of the region have been maintained despite a complex regional situation. Facing issues like terrorism and the challenges of COVID-19 control and prevention, the SCO members have responded with unified actions. Meanwhile, the social and economic developments of various countries have been promoted. China’s trade volume with other SCO member states reached $245 billion (about 1.584 trillion yuan) in 2020, up from $12 billion in 2001, reported Xinhua.
在地区复杂的形势下，上合组织维护了地区总体安全稳定。面对恐怖主义、新冠肺炎疫情防控等挑战，上合组织成员国团结应对。同时，上合组织促进了各国社会经济的发展。据新华社报道，2001年，中国与上合组织成员国贸易额为120亿美元，到2020年则上升至2450亿美元(约合1.584万亿元人民币)。

People-to-people exchanges have also been largely promoted. Back in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of visits between China and other SCO members exceeded 7 million, 3.5 times as many as in 2001.
上合组织还广泛促进了人文交流。在2019年新冠肺炎疫情前，中国同上合组织其他成员国人员往来超700万人次，是2001年的3.5倍。

The 20-year mark is a new starting point, noted Xinhua. The organization is looking to work more closely to strengthen its cooperation among its member states.
新华社指出，20年是一个新的历史起点。上合组织期待进一步密切协作，以加强成员国之间的合作。

On Sept 17, President Xi Jinping urged unity, common security and openness among the SCO members in order to create a closer community with a shared future at the 21st meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO.
9月17日，国家主席习近平在上海合作组织成员国元首理事会第二十一次会议上发表重要讲话，提出上海合作组织应该走团结合作之路、安危共担之路、开放融通之路，构建更加紧密的上海合作组织命运共同体。

“I am confident that the growing SCO family will stride ahead together with all the progressive forces of the world, and be the builders of world peace, contributors to global development and defenders of the international order,” said President Xi.
习近平指出，相信不断壮大的“上合大家庭”，将同世界上一切进步力量携手前进，共同做世界和平的建设者、全球发展的贡献者、国际秩序的维护者。

以上文章内容选自《21世纪学生英文报高中版》，详情请见《21世纪学生英文报高中版》高二843期