Shen Yueyue, vice-chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and president of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission (GNFCC) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), conducted a survey on people-to-people diplomacy within the SCO at the GNFCC Secretariat on Aug 9. China's Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong and Vice President of the GNFCC Cui Li accompanied Shen on the visit.

Shen noted that the successful convening of the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has provided systematic deployment for further comprehensive deepening of reforms, with a focus on the central task of advancing Chinese modernization.

She emphasized that the GNFCC should take studying, promoting and implementing the guiding principles of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee as a major political task for the current and future periods, align thoughts and actions with the plenum's guiding principles, uphold fundamental principles and break new ground, and shoulder responsibilities through hard work.

At this year's SCO Summit in Astana, President Xi Jinping called for building a common home featuring solidarity and mutual trust, peace and tranquility, prosperity and development, good-neighborliness and friendship, as well as fairness and justice. President Xi also announced that China will take the rotating presidency of the organization for 2024-2025 and proposed that 2025 be designated as the SCO Year of Sustainable Development. Xi's speech has charted the course and provided guidelines for the next phase of work, Shen noted.

Shen called on the GNFCC to make further efforts to consolidate friendly relations with SCO countries through concrete results, and promote pragmatic cooperation and cultural and people-to-people exchanges under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy.

Sun said that the entire Party has been thoroughly studying and implementing the guiding principles of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee to ensure effective implementation of the CPC Central Committee's decisions and plans on reform.

China's diplomatic front will intensify efforts to balance domestic and international imperatives, so as to create a more favorable international environment and provide stronger strategic support for building a great country and achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, he added.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to support the GNFCC in advancing people-to-people diplomacy among SCO countries to new heights, he noted.