Two-way trade between China and Tajikistan totaled $524 million in 2007, according to Chinese statistics. It reached $282 million in the first half of this year, up 73.3 percent year on year.

The Karasu Port, China's only land port of entry to Tajikistan, was upgraded to an all-weather port in March this year, facilitating trade between the two countries. Located in south Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, it opened as a temporary port in 2004.

China and Tajikistan held a joint antiterrorism military exercise in September 2006. In August last year, both took part in the SCO's Peace Mission 2007 antiterrorism drill.

Trade between China and Turkmenistan hit a record $380 million in the first half of this year, surpassing their total trade volume last year. China and Turkmenistan are currently building a gas pipeline linking the two countries, which is scheduled to open in 2009. Through this pipeline, Turkmenistan will provide China with 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually for 30 years.

"The pipeline helps not only meet China's energy demands, but also diversify Turkmenistan's energy exports," Chen said. "With this pipeline, Turkmenistan will be able to ship its natural gas to the East, besides Russia and Europe."

The pipeline, which travels through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, is also bound to fuel cooperation within the framework of the SCO, she added.

Five-Point Proposal In his speech at the Dushanbe summit, Chinese President Hu Jintao made a five-point proposal for the SCO: －strengthen strategic consultation and mutual political trust; － forge closer security cooperation to maintain regional peace; l deepen economic cooperation to achieve mutually beneficial results; －promote people-to-people exchanges to establish links of friendship; and －uphold the principles of opening up and striving for regional harmony.