On 12 July 2024, the Demonstration Zone for China-SCO regional trade and economic cooperation in the Chinese city of Qingdao hosted a ceremony to launch the programme of events planned after the city was designated as the SCO’s tourist and cultural capital for 2024-2025.
The organisers were the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Qingdao Municipal People's Government, and the management of the demonstration zone.
Qingdao Mayor Zhao Haozhi welcomed the participants in the opening ceremony. Other speakers included Vice Governor of Shandong Province Deng Yunfeng and Deputy Secretary-General of the SCO Oleg Kopylov.
The Chinese representatives addressed the audience expressing confidence in the further progress of successful cultural and humanitarian cooperation between the SCO member states. They emphasised that the impressive events planned for 2024-2025 will complement the picture of multifaceted fraternal interaction among the SCO Family by tapping into the countries’ cultural and recreational capabilities and strengthening ties between their respective business communities, creative industries, and ordinary citizens.
Oleg Kopylov said in his remarks at the ceremony, and later in an interview with the Chinese media, that Qingdao, being part of China’s historical and cultural heritage, an attractive tourist destination and business centre, fully deserves the high title, and the diverse programme of events will be an invaluable contribution to the treasury of multifaceted ties between the countries in the region.
The ceremony to launch the tourist and cultural capital project in Qingdao also included the opening of the SCO Summer 2024 festival, several conferences, seminars and roundtable discussions, a concert of the Light of the SCO traditional folk orchestra, a dance show, Diverse Art of the SCO Countries - Colourful Jiaozhou, by featuring groups from Shandong Province, and other remarkable events.