The 2021 SCO International Round Table was held in Lianyungang, Jiangsu

On the afternoon of June 18, the 2021 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) International Round Table was successfully held in Lianyungang city, Jiangsu province. The conference was co-hosted by the Secretariat of the SCO and Lianyungang Municipal People's Government, with the theme of "enhancing international cooperation in economy and trade, and promoting facilitation in merchandise exports and imports among SCO member states". 

The SCO Secretariat and relevant officials from SCO member states, observer countries, and dialogue partner countries participated in the meeting in the form of "online + offline". The meeting was chaired by Fang Wei, the Mayor of Lianyungang city. Vladimir Norov, Secretary-General of the SCO Secretariat, Hui Jianlin, Deputy Governor of Jiangsu Province, and Xiang Xuelong, Secretary of the CPC Lianyungang Municipal Committee delivered speeches. 

As a strong fulcrum for the Belt and Road intersection and the important node city in the New Eurasian Continental Bridge Economic Corridor, Lianyungang assumes the role of a two-way opening window and a sea-land conversion hub. In recent years, with the vigorous economic development of the SCO countries and the in-depth implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, Lianyungang is making every effort to build the SCO overseas base and the China-Kazakhstanlogistics cooperation base. The cooperation effects and demonstration effects achieved caused widespread concern. 

On the basis of the cooperation results of the first SCO Round Table, using the SCO's actual needs and long-term development of international industrial cooperation and special product trade as entry point, this year's meeting aims at new trends and explores new ideas, new countermeasures, and constructs the international logistics cooperation relationship of mutual respect, mutual support, and win-win cooperation. 

Participants affirmed the important contribution of Lianyungang in the SCO member states in fighting the COVID-19 and coping with its negative impact, and noted the huge development potential of port of Lianyungang, and believed that the urban logistics and industrial clusters should be used more actively. It is to strengthen the multilateral cooperation and exchanges in the SCO Free Trade Zone, and develop cooperation in the transportation, transshipment and processing of transnational goods under the framework of the national strategy and the Belt and Road Initiative.