Diplomacy in the Digital Realm Highlighted at SCO Summit in Astana
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is actively pushing forward digital cooperation, as demonstrated by the ongoing SCO Digital Forum. The event, which is attracting significant engagement from member countries, is focused on promoting inclusive digital development and tackling challenges such as the digital divide in digital diplomacy.
Recent events have highlighted the momentum of the SCO in this area. In 2025, the SCO Forum on People-to-People Friendship held in Shenyang emphasised furthering friendly cooperation and shared development among SCO countries, advocating openness, inclusiveness, and mutual learning. Although not exclusively digital-focused, the event supports the broader digital diplomacy environment by promoting closer cooperation.
In June 2025, a China-SCO AI Cooperation Forum was held in Tianjin. The event aimed to strengthen technological cooperation, talent development, and industrial AI applications among SCO members. The forum encouraged joint efforts to overcome technological challenges, accelerate AI industrialization, and share AI benefits, thereby contributing to narrowing the digital divide.
The SCO is also advancing discussions on digital economy, with forums in China involving over 600 participants discussing critical topics like data circulation, industrial digitalization, digital infrastructure, and AI applications. This indicates a strong commitment to enhancing digital ecosystems across SCO countries.
Additionally, the SCO Secretariat has reported cooperation in public service digital transformation, including establishing a regional center for digital cooperation, personnel training, and exchange programs for young civil servants. These efforts signal ongoing institutional efforts to boost digital governance and reduce digital disparities among member states.
Looking ahead, future plans include deepening digital and AI cooperation to industrialize and apply advanced technologies across SCO countries, helping less digitally developed members catch up. The SCO also plans to continue organising forums and workshops to promote policy exchange, talent development, and infrastructure improvement in digital sectors.
The organisation also aims to pursue closer integration of digital strategies within the broader framework of SCO cooperation, aligned with the "Shanghai Spirit" of unity and win-win cooperation. Enhancing public administration through digital transformation initiatives facilitated by the planned regional cooperation center and joint programs is another key objective.
Su Chang, deputy director of the Department of Strategic Studies at the Institute of East European, Russian, and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, spoke at the forum. She drew a parallel between the evolution of digital diplomacy and the SCO, stating that both have undergone similar developments over a comparable timeframe.
Since 2018, the SCO has prioritised the exchange of best practices in information and communication technologies, particularly during meetings of the Council of Heads of Member States in China. Victoria Khomich, deputy dean of the Faculty of Urban and Regional Development at the Moscow-based Higher School of Economics University, stated that digital diplomacy is at the intersection of digitalization and international relations.
Khomich noted that digital diplomacy in the global arena is still in its early stages, requiring a comprehensive methodological basis and research for effective international communications. The increasing number of cyberattacks on SCO states is a concern due to the deepening of technological integration and the intensification of geopolitical competition.
The forum discussed key areas of digital cooperation among SCO countries and explored ways to build a sustainable model of regional integration based on modern technologies. Khomich stated that the SCO, which will mark 25 years of cooperation next year, is a stable international integration platform that plays a key role in integration processes in Eurasia.
In 2024, a SCO digital forum was held in Astana, where intentions were announced to eliminate the digital divide-a key problem that currently hinders the development of digital diplomacy. The SCO forum on digital diplomacy was held in Astana on July 1. The event was organised by the Institute for Regional Integration Studies, a newly established think tank.
A key step was the adoption of a strategic concept and action plan for digital cooperation during Uzbekistan's presidency in 2022. The lack of effective systems to monitor and manage information contributes to the spread of misinformation in cyberspace. Most participating SCO countries have not yet established a fully-fledged mechanism within the framework of cyber governance.
The challenges related to public opinion in cyberspace are intensified due to the lack of effective systems to monitor and manage information. Kazakhstan, as a leader in digital transformation, proposed initiatives to form a unified digital space, including the development of GovTech, the creation of joint data hubs, and coordination in the field of IT startups.
In summary, the SCO is actively advancing digital cooperation through forums, AI initiatives, and public service modernization to eliminate the digital divide within its digital diplomacy framework, with concrete plans for sustained collaboration and capacity building across its member states. This approach aims to build a closer regional digital community with shared benefits and sustainable development.
In the context of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), technology and politics intertwine significantly. As the SCO Digital Forum progresses, it underscores the organization's commitment to digital diplomacy, not only promoting inclusive digital development but also tackling challenges such as the digital divide. Meanwhile, the China-SCO AI Cooperation Forum, held in Tianjin, focuses on strengthening technological cooperation among SCO members, with the aim of accelerating AI industrialization and sharing AI benefits, thereby contributing to the reduction of the digital divide.
