CGTN: CGTN Poll | Why is the SCO Solution for Global Governance Drawing Wide Attention?

BEIJING, Sept 21 (Bernama) -- Global governance has once again entered the "SCO moment". On the occasion of the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, a public‑opinion survey conducted by CGTN in collaboration with Renmin University of China through the Institute for International Communication in the New Era, among 13,707 respondents across 48 countries worldwide shows that 74.6% of respondents believe the SCO offers a pragmatic path for cooperation among countries with different systems and serves as an important force for advancing a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of the SCO. Over the past 25 years, trade volume between China and other SCO member states has risen from USD 12.1 billion in 2001 to USD 523.5 billion in 2025. Projects including the China‑Kyrgyzstan‑Uzbekistan Railway, the SCO Development Bank and the China‑Central Asia Gas Pipeline keep moving forward. The survey indicates global respondents hold positive views on the SCO’s pragmatic cooperation outcomes across various sectors over its 25‑year history. They note that the organization’s international influence has grown markedly in three priority areas: trade facilitation, investment and financing cooperation, as well as cultural exchanges and tourism. Among respondents from SCO member states and dialogue partners, 75.4% state that the "Shanghai Spirit" provides a cooperation framework rooted in mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and pursuit of common development. Meanwhile, 71.7% of respondents believe the SCO has amplified the voice of Global South countries and advanced the building of a fairer and more reasonable global governance system.