SCO Defence Officials to Convene in China for Security Discussions

SCO defence officials will meet in Qingdao, China, to discuss future security cooperation. The two-day event aims to foster collaboration among the ten member states and will feature dialogues on defence strategies. The upcoming leaders' summit in Tianjin highlights China's leadership role within the organization.

Defence officials from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) are slated to convene in Qingdao, China, later this month to deliberate on future security cooperation. According to an announcement on Friday, the two-day event will promote strategic collaboration among its diverse member states.

The inaugural meeting of the SCO's international military cooperation entities for 2025 is scheduled for March 26-27 in Qingdao, as confirmed by Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defence. Representatives from the defence ministries of SCO's member states will engage in an exchange of views on enhancing future defence and security partnerships.

Comprising ten member states including China, Russia, and India, the SCO is well-regarded for its robust counter-terrorism mechanism, the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS). China, currently the rotating president of the SCO, plans to host the leaders' summit this autumn in Tianjin, symbolizing its commitment to advancing the organization's development under the banner of the 'Shanghai Spirit.'