On 29 April 2019, a flowering garden, the EXPO 2019 International Horticultural Exhibition, opened in the northwestern outskirts of Beijing.
The theme of the expo is Live Green, Live Better.
SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov took part in the opening of the exhibition.
In his welcoming speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that the construction of China's environmental civilisation was underway and contemporaries would see that the sky would become bluer, mountains would be covered in forests and the water would be cleaner.
"The Earth is our only home, and the life of all human beings depends on it. It is necessary to protect the environment like a treasure, and our attitude towards the environment should be the same as our attitude towards our own lives. Together we need to lay the foundations of an environmental civilisation and go along the path of green development.
The Chinese party is ready to cooperate with all countries in order to build a wonderful home on Earth and create a community of a shared future for humanity," the Chinese President said.
Xi Jinping also outlined five points of green development that needed to be implemented: the need to strive to reach harmony between people and nature; to achieve an active green development; to promote love for nature among the public; to try to manage natural resources based on science; and to strive for joint cooperation and response.
The Chinese President emphasised that the park area of the Beijing International Horticultural Expo was in harmony with the beauty of the natural lakes and the picturesque mountains, and expressed confidence that the concept of green development presented in the park would be expanded to all corners of the world.
Vicente Loscertales, Secretary General of the International Bureau of Expositions (BIE), noted that the EXPO 2019 would facilitate the socio-economic development and optimisation of the regional infrastructure, and also improve people's wellbeing by introducing advanced technology and innovations.
According to the organising committee, the EXPO covers an area of 960 hectares. It has over 220,000 trees and shrubs, and countless flowers.
The exhibition brings together participants from 110 countries, plus a series of international organisations, including the SCO.
The pavilion of the SCO Secretariat, the SCO Garden, reflects the common intent of SCO member states to have a caring attitude towards nature and the environment, to maintain a favourable environment and provide sustainable green development on the SCO space.
The three elements, crucial for all living things — earth, air and water — inspired the concept of the pavilion. They reflect the SCO's three main goals: joint cooperation, joint development and joint prosperity.