China welcomes India's bid to get full membership of SCO

China today welcomed India's bid to get full membership of the Shanghai Corporation Organisation (SCO), a security grouping dominated by it but sought New Delhi's support to build relations with SAARC to contribute to regional stability and development.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, after extensive talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said both the sides agreed to increase strategic communication and coordination in international and regional affairs and to make an active contribution to building the international systems.
"China welcomes and supports India's full membership in the Shanghai Corporation Organisation as it expects India to support China in building relations with SAARC so that the two countries can work together to contribute our due share to regional stability and development," he said.

India has significant influence over SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Corporation) which was established in 1985 to promote economic growth, peace and stability in the region. Besides India, other members of SAARC are Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan.
India had formally applied for membership of SCO in its summit meeting in Dushanbe last week where External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had said India was ready to step up engagement with the security grouping.
The process to grant SCO membership to India is likely to be completed within one year.

India has been an observer at SCO since 2005 and has generally participated at the ministerial-level at summits of the grouping which focuses mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian space.

India's key ally Russia has been favouring India's permanent SCO membership, saying joining of the group by the largest democracy will add weight to the organisation.
SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India, Iran and Pakistan were admitted as observers at the 2005 Astana Summit.
Xi said the two sides agreed to work together to steer regional cooperation and to advance efforts to build the BCIM economic corridor involving Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar.
"We also support each other's participation in regional and subregional cooperation. China and India will act as twin engines in spearheading economic growth in the region and adding to development and prosperity of the region," he said.