BEIJING — A delegation of international journalists will visit northeast China’s Liaoning Province from July 1 to 5 as part of efforts to enhance media exchanges and cooperation under the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

The journalists are participants in a media exchange program organized by the China International Press Communication Center (CIPCC). The visit to Liaoning is taking place at the invitation of the SCO’s Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission (GNFCC).

The delegation includes media representatives from SCO member states, observer states, and dialogue partners. The journalists will arrive in Dalian on Tuesday, before continuing on to Shenyang on Thursday to attend the 2025 SCO Forum on People-to-People Friendship and the Forum on Friendship Cities.

The event is co-hosted by the GNFCC, the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and the Liaoning Provincial People’s Government. It is organized by the Shenyang Municipal People’s Government, with support from the Foreign Affairs Office of Liaoning Province and the Liaoning Provincial People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

Taking place at the New World Expo in Shenyang, the event is expected to bring together hundreds of participants from across the SCO under the theme of “Deepening People-to-People Friendship, Advancing Sustainable Development.” It will feature an opening ceremony, three exhibitions and three sub-forums.

The invitation to foreign media corps is part of GNFCC’s broader efforts to strengthen media and public diplomacy. It offers journalists a chance to report on China’s development initiatives in areas such as regional cooperation, innovation, and revitalization, while promoting mutual understanding and supporting the goals of the Belt and Road Initiative and the "Shanghai Spirit."

At the 2013 Bishkek Summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced China’s lead role in establishing the GNFCC and encouraged other SCO members and observers to create similar institutions to promote friendship and mutual understanding among nations.

Founded in 2001, the SCO currently includes 10 full members: China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. It has two observer states—Afghanistan and Mongolia—and 14 dialogue partners, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Myanmar, the Maldives, and the United Arab Emirates. 

The 2025 SCO Summit is scheduled to be held in Tianjin, China, this autumn. The organization’s mission includes strengthening cooperation in regional security, economic development, and cultural exchange among its member states.