The Qingdao SCODA Pearl International Expo Center. [Photo/Dazhong News]

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) People-to-people Friendship Forum and Sister Cities Forum will be held from June 14 to 16 in the eastern coastal city of Qingdao, Shandong province.

The SCO Industrial and Supply Chains Forum and 2023 SCO International Investment and Trade Expo will be held then at the Qingdao SCODA Pearl International Expo Center.

The SCO People-to-people Friendship Forum and Sister Cities Forum is a major event announced by the Chinese side at the SCO Samarkand Summit in September 2022.

Approved by the State Council, the event will be co-hosted by the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission of the SCO (GNFCC SCO), the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Shandong Provincial People's Government.

The China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area. [Photo/Dazhong News]

The event will gather over 400 guests from all over the world, including more than 20 at ministerial level or above, political leaders of SCO countries, diplomatic envoys in China, and governors and mayors.

With the theme of "Carrying forward the 'Shanghai Spirit' and promoting friendly cooperation," the forum will consist of an opening ceremony, a main forum, thematic sub-forums, a project signing ceremony, a supporting exhibition, and investigation tours.

At the closing ceremony, the Qingdao Initiative of the SCO Friendship Forum and Sister Cities Forum will be released.

The China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area, known as SCODA, has emerged as a vital hub for trade and business among member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The event will highlight the significant achievements made since its establishment five years ago in Qingdao and build a broader high-end international platform for the construction of SCODA, said local officials.