Pak PM speaks for fighting ‘hydra-headed monster of terror’, Xi against bid to foment ‘a new Cold War’

China’s President Xi Jinping said they should “bridge differences through dialogue, and replace competition with cooperation”, and “truly respect each other’s core interests and major concerns”.

Addressing the summit through the virtual mode, Xi said, “We must be highly vigilant against external attempts to foment a new Cold War or camp-based confrontation in our region. We must resolutely reject any interference in our internal affairs and the instigation of ‘color revolutions’ by any country under whatever pretext.”

Sharif said in his address, “SCO member-states have a shared interest in ensuring peace and stability in the region, which is a precondition for economic development. The hydra-headed monster of terrorism and extremism, whether performed by individuals, or societies and states, must be fought with our full might. Any temptation to use it as a cudgel for diplomatic point-scoring must be eschewed. Instead of cherry-picking for narrow political gains, terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including State terrorism, must be condemned in clear and unambiguous terms.”

There can be “no justification for killing of innocent people, regardless of the cause or pretext, (and) similarly, religious minorities should never be demonised in the pursuit of domestic political agendas”, he said.

Sharif said that peace in the context of contemporary inter-state relations could be negative or positive. “negative peace”, he said, refers to absence of violence but persistence of the conflict’s root causes. “The ‘positive peace’ connotes a situation where underlying causes of a conflict are addressed, leading to justice and equity for all. We must strive for establishing positive peace in the SCO region,” he said.

To achieve that goal, the Pakistan PM said that “fundamental rights and freedoms must be guaranteed to all, including those under occupation. Peace and communal harmony should replace violent ultra-nationalism and xenophobic ideologies, especially Islamophobia.”

“Further, we should resolutely oppose divisive policies, based on prejudice and discrimination. In today’s world, there should be no place for the willful provocations and incitement to hatred, especially on religious grounds,” he said.

Stating that the SCO stands for “strict observance of the UN principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and people’s right to self-determination”, Sharif said, while alluding to the Kashmir dispute, that “the UN Security Council resolutions offer us a workable framework for resolution of some long-standing disputes in the region. We must build a new future for our people, based on peaceful co-existence and conflict resolution.”

In his address, Xi said, “We need to upgrade SCO security cooperation, and continue to conduct joint operations. We should crack down hard on the forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism such as ‘East Turkistan’ elements, drug trafficking, and cyber and transnational organised crimes.”

Stating that the world today is undergoing both transformation and upheaval, he said changes “unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace (and) human society faces unprecedented challenges”.

He said: “Unity or split, peace or conflict, cooperation or confrontation — these are the questions raised again by our times. My answer is this: people’s wish for a happy life is our goal, and peace, development and win-win cooperation are the unstoppable trends of the times.”

“The SCO has been growing stronger in recent years. This means development opportunities as well as unprecedented risks and challenges. As the poet Rabindranath Tagore put it, ‘The sea of danger, doubt and denial around man’s little island of certainty challenges him to dare the unknown’. We must rise to the call of our times, keep in mind our founding mission, and stay in unity and coordination to bring more certainty and positive energy to world peace and development.”

“We should step up strategic communication and coordination, bridge differences through dialogue, and replace competition with cooperation. We should truly respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, and firmly support each other’s endeavor for development and rejuvenation. We should keep in mind the overall and long-term interests of our region, and make our foreign policies independently. We must be highly vigilant against external attempts to foment a new Cold War or camp-based confrontation in our region. We must resolutely reject any interference in our internal affairs and the instigation of “color revolutions” by any country under whatever pretext,” the Chinese President said.

Xi also said, “We should maintain regional peace and safeguard common security. Sustaining peace and security in this region is our common responsibility. China stands ready to work with all sides to implement the Global Security Initiative, promote the settlement of international disputes through dialogue and consultation, and encourage political settlement of international and regional hotspots, so as to forge a solid security shield in our region.”