On September 26, the 18th Trade Ministers’ Meeting of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative Yu Jianhua led a delegation to attend the meeting.

They discussed in depth the status quo and prospects of regional economic cooperation, and emphasized the urgency and importance of strengthening cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, transportation and logistics, tourism, agriculture, industry, energy, information and communication technology, regional development, science and technology, and environmental protection. The meeting reviewed and passed the draft of the new Outline of Multilateral Economic and Trade Cooperation of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which is intended to serve as an important programmatic guidance document for promoting new development in regional economic cooperation in the new era from 2020 to 2035. The meeting also adopted the draft of the cooperation conception of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member countries on developing remote and rural areas in the digital era and the draft charter on Shanghai Cooperation Organization Economic Think Tank Union, opening up new fields for regional economic cooperation. The above documents will be submitted to the Prime Minister's meeting for approval as the main economic and trade achievements of the 18th Prime Ministers' Meeting of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The China has put forward proposals for strengthening strategic planning for economic and trade cooperation, promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, improving the level of interconnection and cooperation, and strengthening global economic governance cooperation, and receiving positive responses. At the meeting, all parties indicated that they attach great importance to the new edition of the Outline of Multilateral Economic and Trade Cooperation of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and are determined to work together actively and take concrete actions to promote pragmatic cooperation in various fields to achieve new results as soon as possible. They stressed that they oppose unilateralism and trade protectionism, safeguard the WTO's main channel status in the global trading system, and support the necessary reforms of the WTO.

Attending were the heads of economic and trade departments of Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, India, Pakistan, and representatives of the Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commission of Businessmen.