The China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Zone Work Report Meeting and Industry-Academia-Research Cooperation Fair was held in Beijing on February 21 to further develop the role of the SCO Demonstration Zone as a source, strengthen the docking of industrial talents and jointly build a new platform for international cooperation along the "Belt and Road" through discussions and exchanges with head enterprises in Beijing. Twelve key projects were officially signed and landed in the SCO Model Zone.

The 12 new key projects signed in the SCO New Area include the strategic cooperation project of the International Cooperation Centre of the National Development and Reform Commission, the national aviation cooperation project of Cambodia, the digital twin port project of the SCO International Hub Port, the strategic cooperation project of the National Transport and Logistics Centre of Turkmenistan, and the cooperation project of the Russian Aluminium Group, which will accelerate the gathering of SCO elements, promote the in-depth integration of industry, academia and research in the SCO New Area, promote industrial transformation and upgrading, and provide strong support for high-quality development. These projects will provide strong support for high-quality development. Among them, the strategic cooperation project of the International Cooperation Centre of the National Development and Reform Commission will give full play to the advantages of the two institutions in terms of talent pool and platform construction, and provide strategic, global and forward-looking decision-making support for the construction of the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization Economic and Trade Academy (SCO Economic and Trade Development Institute). The Russian Aluminum Group cooperation project will integrate the advantages of the SCO Model Zone platform and the resource advantages of the Russian Aluminum Group to carry out all-round cooperation in international logistics, financial innovation, modern agriculture and other fields, helping China and Russia to interconnect their industries and complement each other's resources.

Sohail Khan, Deputy Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), said that since the launch of the SCO Model Zone, it has actively participated in implementing the SCO consensus on economic and trade cooperation, exploring new paths of cooperation and helping to enhance the scale and facilitation of economic and trade cooperation among SCO countries. It is expected that the SCO Model Zone will play a better role in strengthening its own advantages and bridging the gap, so as to promote deeper and more practical economic and trade cooperation and create a better future for the SCO.

Zhang Xinzhu, Secretary of the Party Working Committee of the SCO Demonstration Zone, said that the SCO Industry Chain Supply Chain Forum will be an important node, and the construction of the Ruyi Lake Headquarters Base with the Qingdao-Shanghai Cooperation Pearl International Expo Centre as the core and the new industrial belt with the Shanghai Cooperation Avenue as the axis will be accelerated to provide a platform and carrier support for quality projects to take root and settle. With the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Comprehensive Service Platform Version 2.0 as the driving force, we will provide "one-stop" service solutions for enterprise innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity, and strive to build the SCO Demonstration Zone into a pilot area for innovation of two-way investment and trade systems between localities of SCO countries, and a gathering area for enterprises to start and develop their businesses. We will strive to build the SCO Model Zone into a pilot zone for innovation of two-way investment and trade systems among SCO countries, an agglomeration zone for enterprises to start their own businesses, and a pioneering zone for local economic and trade cooperation along the Belt and Road, and a new high ground for opening up in the new era. We hope to use this event as a starting point to build bridges with more think tanks, leading enterprises and business associations and reach consensus on cooperation, so as to accelerate the creation of a new platform for international cooperation along the Belt and Road.

Since the launch of the construction, the SCO Model Zone has been pushing ahead with the construction of four centres for international logistics, modern trade, two-way investment cooperation, business, tourism and cultural exchange development and the SCO Economic and Trade Academy. "At present, we have opened 29 international and domestic train lines, initially forming an international logistics corridor covering Shandong, radiating along the Yellow River, crossing Europe and Asia, and connecting with Japan, Korea and ASEAN; introducing and cultivating 10 trade platforms such as the SCO Cross-border Trade Service Centre, gathering more than 2,000 trade entities of all kinds, and landing more than 70 projects with a total investment of more than 200 billion yuan. " Li Gang, Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Executive Deputy Director of the Management Committee of the SCO Model Zone, said in his promotion that in 2022, the SCO Model Zone will hold more than 150 international exchange activities such as the SCO National Media Think Tank Forum, and its "circle of friends" in the SCO countries is becoming wider and more well-known. Focusing on the needs of local economic and trade cooperation between SCO and countries along the "Belt and Road", the SCO Model Zone has launched 56 institutional innovations such as "SCO-Hui Bao Tong" and "Credit SCO". The demonstration zone has launched 56 institutional innovations such as "SCO-Hui Bao Tong" and "Credit SCO".