By Huang Fahong, Hu Renba, Yin Xiaoyu
In recent years, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) has made significant strides in advancing digital cooperation under the framework of the “Digital Silk Road.” From cross-border 5G coverage to interconnected e-commerce platforms, from digital payment to the growing use of AI, member states are deepening collaboration through innovative practices that are reshaping the regional digital landscape.
In northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, for instance, animal health workers can record vaccinations and file reports directly through a mobile app. When livestock are ready for sale, entering a phone number instantly retrieves immunization records from the past three years.
Behind these user-friendly functions lies a paperless animal disease prevention system and an electronic quarantine certification system, developed by a local information technology company based in a cloud computing industrial park in Karamay.
Karamay is home to the Xinjiang branch of the China-SCO Big Data Cooperation Center. As of June this year, the branch had hosted nine training sessions for over 20 government departments, research institutes, think tanks, telecom operators, enterprises, and universities from SCO member states, attracting more than 300 participants. It has become an important platform driving digital transformation across the SCO.
Digital transformation is increasingly recognized as a driver of global, inclusive, and sustainable growth. Under the SCO framework, China has taken active steps to promote cross-border connectivity. Projects such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan fiber-optic cable have reduced regional network latency by 40 percent, significantly enhancing data transmission efficiency.
At the industrial park along Egypt’s Suez Canal, China’s BeiDou navigation system and an integrated digital service platform are providing businesses with smart solutions. In Uzbekistan, AI-enabled “virtual classrooms” are expanding access to vocational training. By building a comprehensive network of “hard connectivity plus soft services,” the SCO is laying the groundwork for smoother trade flows and accelerated industrial upgrading.
Launched in March, the MeetSOHO Silk Road e-commerce platform has become an important component of the China-Central Asia trade facilitation mechanism. Nearly 30 buyers from Central Asia are already engaging with more than 500 suppliers from east China’s Jiangsu province, underscoring the vitality of digital trade.
Global digital trade is emerging as a powerful engine of international commerce. In 2024, China’s cross-border e-commerce imports from other SCO member states increased by 34 percent year on year. The China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area has established a Silk Road e-commerce service hub to address practical challenges such as cross-border settlement. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Electronic Certification Authority is enabling digital signatures, encryption, and seals for cross-border contracts, serving more than 100 clients in both China and Russia.
“Developing the digital economy is a shared aspiration of all countries,” said Ahmed Darwish, former minister of state for administrative development in Egypt. “The SCO provides a technology-driven, innovation-led, and fair platform that is beneficial to all.”
On the fast track of digital technology, China has provided systematic solutions to support SCO partners in pursuing technological and industrial transformation, making important contributions to bridging the digital divide.
At a Luban Workshop in Kazakhstan, for example, students use tablets to control miniature self-driving vehicle simulations that respond to traffic lights and road conditions. With Chinese-provided technology and equipment, D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University became the first in the country to offer a smart transportation course to address urban congestion.
So far, China has established 10 Luban Workshops in other SCO countries, providing training in digital technologies such as AI, big data, blockchain, cloud computing, and 5G.
SCO digital cooperation now extends to frontier technologies including AI, internet of things, and blockchain. By sharing innovations and practical applications, member states have strengthened their collective digital capabilities and expanded technology adoption across industry, transport, agriculture, healthcare, education, and energy.
From fiber-optic networks spanning the Tianshan Mountains to cross-border e-commerce platforms connecting Eurasia, and from remote medical services to data-sharing mechanisms, digital technology is becoming a bridge linking peoples and fostering shared prosperity. Looking ahead, the SCO will continue advancing innovative projects, working together to build a brighter digital future.
