SCO"s scope, focus have grown as group supports all members" development

　　The SCODA Pearl International Expo Center is a landmark of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Demonstration Area in Qingdao, Shandong province. The center is a commercial complex that encompasses exhibition, business, tourism and cultural activities and highlights unique features of SCO members. LI ZIHENG/XINHUA

　　On June 15, 2001, the leaders of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan gathered in Shanghai to announce the founding of a new regional organization in the Eurasian region.

　　A quarter century later, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization — the only international organization named after a Chinese city — has grown far beyond its initial security focus into the world"s largest regional organization.