During a working visit to Kunming on 28 August 2020, SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov met with Vice Governor of Yunnan province Li Malin.
The sides exchanged views on promoting the SCO Secretariat's cooperation with China's Yunnan Province and Kunming in organising joint events and on developing interregional collaboration with the SCO countries.
The SCO Secretary-General noted the possibility of holding small races of the 2020 Kunming marathon in several Chinese cities and added that the marathon itself could be held online.
When speaking about the promotion of tourist ties, Vladimir Norov proposed organising an SCO-ASEAN tourism conference at the CITM China International Travel Mart in Kunming.
In addition to this, he proposed holding a videoconference within the framework of the SCO Kunming Marathon with support from the SCO-China Centre for Youth Exchanges at Kunming University on the importance of sports and traditional medicine to health.
Vice Governor of Yunnan province Ms Li Malin expressed support for these proposals and informed the SCO Secretary-General about the provincial administration's efforts to stop and prevent the spread of the coronavirus infection and to revitalise the province's economy.
She mentioned the Yunnan Province's tourism potential and said that it is ready to promote interaction with SCO countries in this field. Over 80 million tourists visited Yunnan in 2019, including 8 million foreigners. The province has reopened seven international flights per week, which carry over 1,000 foreign visitors.
Yunnan is using the latest technology in the fields of tourism and services, as well as online guides and special tourism apps.
Li Malin pointed out the importance of promoting the Kunming marathon and the expedience of creating a platform for holding it online so that everyone will be able to take part in it.
Vladimir Norov said he was sure that the Kunming marathon would continue to serve the noble goal of bringing together people of different generations, nationalities, cultures and civilisations, as well as help strengthen the image of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Shanghai Spirit.
Kunming offers wonderful opportunities for a safe and well-organised marathon and a comfortable environment for all visitors.
"Thanks to the high organisational standards and efficient work of the Organising Committee in the four years since the establishment of the marathon, the marathon has won international recognition including the Silver Label from the International Association of Athletics Federations," the SCO Secretary-General said in conclusion