2025 SCO Media Cooperation Forum kicks off in Urumqi with focus on unity and innovation

• CPC Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee Deputy Secretary and People’s Government of Xinjiang Chairman Erkin Tuniyaz highlights region’s progress and invites global media engagement
• Says Xinjiang now sees social stability, economic growth and ethnic unity
• Encourages media to share Xinjiang’s development stories under Belt and Road Initiative
• People’s Daily President Yu Shaoliang calls for unity and deeper media cooperation
• Delegates will tour Kashgar and other areas to witness Xinjiang’s transformation firsthand

By Charumini de Silva 

in Xinjiang, China

The 2025 Media Cooperation Forum of SCO Countries, hosted by People’s Daily, officially kicked off yesterday in Urumqi City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, under the theme ‘Building a More Beautiful Home Together for a Prosperous Future.’

The week-long event runs till 27 May, bringing together over 200 delegates representing 26 countries from across the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), including member States, observer States, and dialogue partners, with senior officials from the SCO Secretariat, Ministers responsible for media, and senior journalists from mainstream media, including the Daily FT, among them. 

The forum, which will formally open today (23), features a variety of activities, including the 2025 Youth Cultural Exchange Camp activities and the Media Dialogue of SCO Countries—aiming to enhance cultural understanding and deepen media cooperation among member, observer, and dialogue partner countries.

Welcoming the participants at the reception, Communist Party of China (CPC) Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee Deputy Secretary and People’s Government of Xinjiang Chairman Erkin Tuniyaz described the region’s remarkable transformation and welcomed increased international media engagement under the umbrella of the SCO.

He said that since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xinjiang has achieved significant progress in social stability, economic growth, cultural diversity, ethnic unity, and religious harmony.

These achievements, he noted, are the results of the CPC’s strong leadership and the successful implementation of the Party’s strategy for governing Xinjiang in the new era. 

“Xinjiang is now experiencing the best period in its history in terms of high-quality development. Hosting the 2025 SCO Media Cooperation at such a moment is both timely and meaningful,” he added. 

Tuniyaz expressed hope that the forum would serve as a catalyst for stronger media exchanges, enabling journalists from SCO countries to share stories of Xinjiang’s development and foster greater mutual understanding among people under the Belt and Road Initiative. 

“We warmly invite media friends from all countries to come and witness Xinjiang’s progress firsthand. Our people from all ethnic backgrounds are open, friendly, and welcoming. Xinjiang offers rich stories and deep inspiration for your reporting,” he said. 

Tuniyaz also pointed out that through platforms like this forum, the region can collectively tell a powerful story of cooperation, prosperity, and peace across the SCO region. 

People’s Daily President Yu Shaoliang highlighted the importance of unity and mutual learning. 

“Tomorrow, we will see the opening ceremony of the 2025 Media Cooperation Forum of Asia countries. I am confident that by upholding this spirit of unity, this forum will build broad consensus, foster deep and practical cooperation, and guide us towards sustained and steady progress,” he said. 

The forum agenda includes interactive sessions on key topics such as media cooperation in tackling global information dissemination challenges, emerging journalism models powered by AI and new technologies, and strengthening people-to-people bonds through cultural and media exchanges.

A media workshop tour is also scheduled from 23-27 May in Kashgar and other parts of Xinjiang, offering participants an on-ground experience of the region’s development and cultural diversity.