Spokeswoman on China's plan as SCO presidency in 2025

China will sponsor over 100 meetings and events in political, security, economic, cultural and other fields in 2025 as the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday.

Mao made the statement in response to a media query about SCO Secretary-General Zhang Ming's remarks on the development of the Shanghai Spirit in an interview with China Media Group.

"Since its establishment, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has always followed the Shanghai Spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respecting diversity of civilizations and pursuing common development, and has become the world's largest regional international organization in terms of geographic coverage and population size, setting an example for building a new type of international relations. As a founding member of the SCO, China always takes the SCO as a diplomatic priority. In taking over the rotating presidency of the SCO, China will sponsor more than 100 meetings and events in the political, security, economic, cultural and other fields, and is committed to running a friendly, united and fruitful SCO summit, building consensus among all parties and drawing a blueprint for development," Mao said.

On July 4, 2024, China took over the rotating presidency of the SCO for 2024-2025 and will host the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO in China.

On the same day, President Xi Jinping called for building a common home of solidarity and mutual trust, peace and tranquility, prosperity and development, good-neighborliness and friendship, as well as equity and justice when attending the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO and the expanded meeting of the SCO, or SCO+.

Since its inception in China's Shanghai in 2001, the SCO has expanded from a regional organization with six members into a trans-regional organization with 10 full members, two observer countries, and 14 dialog partners.

Spokeswoman on China's plan as SCO presidency in 2025

The main tower in a well-known theme park in Harbin, the provincial capital of Heilongjiang in northeast China, was built up on Wednesday evening, adding an attraction to the "Ice City."

According to the organizing committee of the 26th Harbin Ice and Snow World, the park is currently undergoing polishing and lighting effects debugging before opening to the public.

Named "Love among Asia," the tower features layered ice columns, with the design inspired by the emblem of the Olympic Council of Asia, offering a striking visual spectacle to viewers.

"The design concept of our main tower is derived from the emblem of the Olympic Council of Asia. Viewed from above, the entire tower resembles a shining sun, with a giant dragon spiraling on one side and a majestic eagle on the other, forming the overall landscape of the main tower," said Sun Zemin, deputy head of the park's marketing department.

The construction of the Harbin Ice-Snow World has been in full swing involving more than 10,000 workers and nearly 1,000 machines.

"This year, the park covers an area of one million square meters in total, with 300,000 cubic meters of ice and snow consumed for the construction, and both the area and ice-snow consumption set records in the history of our park," said Sun.

Currently, more than half of the ice and snow world has been build, and the total construction is expected to complete before the end of the month.

Main tower of Harbin Ice-Snow World capped