"As the SCO rotating chair, China is willing to strengthen strategic contacts with each side, share experience in tackling poverty, and deepen practical cooperation," Xinhua quoted the Chinese leader as saying in a message to participants in the SCO Forum on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development, TASS reported.
Xi specified that Beijing will strive to help more countries "follow the path of poverty eradication and sustainable development in accordance with national specifics." He emphasized the importance of joint efforts to "build a beautiful world free of poverty with prosperity for all."
The Chinese president noted that improving people’s well-being is "a global challenge and a common goal for all nations." He recalled that China achieved its target of eradicating poverty 10 years ahead of the deadline set out in the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
Xi underlined that the issue of poverty reduction is closely tied to development. In his view, the SCO has promoted active cooperation in this sphere in recent years and has "achieved remarkable results."
The Forum on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development kicked off on Tuesday in Xi’an, the administrative center of the Shaanxi Province in northwest China. The forum is organized by the SCO Committee on Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation, jointly with the region's authorities.