On July 17, 2025, in Qingdao, SCO Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev met with the Governor of Shandong Province, Zhou Naixiang. The meeting was attended by the heads of SCO delegations that arrived in Qingdao to participate in the China-SCO Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Conference.
The Secretary General, thanking the leadership of the People's Government of Shandong Province for their constant attention to SCO affairs, noted the significant contribution of the region to the development of practical cooperation within the Organization in various areas. The role of the current cultural and tourist capital of the SCO, Qingdao, was highlighted, with the successful launch of the China-SCO Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Demonstration Zone, and a number of official events held within the framework of China's chairmanship in the Organization.
Nurlan Yermekbayev also briefly spoke about the course of China's chairmanship in the SCO and preparations for the upcoming meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization in Tianjin on August 31 – September 1, 2025.
Zhou Naixiang informed the meeting participants in detail about the main indicators of socio-economic development of the province, the achieved level of cooperation with the SCO countries and plans for its further expansion.