Cities key to building closer SCO community

Officials from major cities tied to summits of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization stressed heightened collaboration in connectivity, digitalization and people-to-people exchanges on Tuesday, positioning urban cooperation as a pillar for regional integration ahead of the grouping's Tianjin summit.

Senior city officials, media representatives and think tank leaders who convened in Tianjin for the Global Mayors Dialogue .SCO Summit Cities event underscored the strategic role of cities in building a closer SCO community with a shared future.

Tianjin will host the summit in autumn, marking the fifth time that China has hosted the landmark event since the group's founding in 2001.