Beijing: China has appointed a special representative to "deepen" ties with member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Foreign Ministry announced.

According to Anadolu Agency, the special representative is a key position China has established to enhance exchanges and cooperation with the SCO countries, as stated by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning. Ambassador Yan Wenbin has been appointed as the special representative on SCO affairs and the SCO national coordinator. Mao expressed confidence that Yan will actively fulfill his duties and maintain close working relations with the national coordinators of other SCO member states. His role will involve delivering on the common understandings of the leaders, working for the development and cooperation of the organization, contributing to regional security, stability, development, and prosperity, and promoting the building of an even closer SCO community.

The SCO originated from the Shanghai Five mechanism, which included China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan before Uzbekistan joined as a sixth member. The organization later expanded to include Pakistan, India, Iran, and Belarus. In addition to its ten member states, the SCO has 16 partners, identified as observer and dialogue partners, spanning Asia, Europe, and Africa. The SCO covers approximately 24% of the world's land area and 42% of the global population. Member states account for roughly one-quarter of the global GDP, with trade among them increasing nearly 100-fold over the past two decades. Their share of world trade rose from 5.4% in 2001 to 17.5% in 2020.

The 25th summit of the SCO was hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin, where the bloc adopted a 10-year SCO Development Strategy to 2035. The summit also resulted in outcome documents focusing on security, trade, energy, and cultural cooperation. In 2024, China's trade with SCO members, observers, and dialogue partners reached a record $890 billion, accounting for 14.4% of its total foreign trade.