On 27 March 2017, SCO Secretary-General Rashid Alimov met with Vice Mayor of Shanghai Chen Yin.
"The SCO is the only organisation in the world to be named after a city and this city is Shanghai," the Secretary-General said at the meeting. The Shanghai spirit originates in this remarkable city, well-known in the world for its impressive achievements in all areas of life. Everything that is embedded in this spirit reflects the essence of the city, its glorious history, today's high level of development and wonderful future. Shanghai's value is not only in the history of the SCO's origin but also in its great contribution to the development of this organisation," Alimov said.
The Vice Mayor of Shanghai praised the SCO's efforts to maintain peace and stability and to promote economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation in the region. "Shanghai is proud that the SCO bears its name and we will continue to contribute to the organisation's affairs," Chen Yin said.
The officials discussed a wide range of issues dealing with cooperation between the Shanghai city government and the SCO Secretariat in the foreseeable future.
The SCO Secretary-General signed the book of honoured guests in the city museum located in the Shanghai City Hall.
On 15 June 2001, Shanghai was the place where the leaders of Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan signed the Declaration on the Creation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.