Storyline: A Sri Lankan expert sees the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 as a pivotal opportunity to advance the Shanghai Spirit, stressing multilateralism as the organization's duty and strength. The summit is scheduled to take place in Aug 31 to Sept 1 in north China's Tianjin Municipality. In an exclusive interview with China Media Group (CMG), Manjula Gajanayake, executive director of the Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) in Sri Lanka, a dialogue partner with the SCO, praised China's leadership within the organization, stressing that the summit will serve as a platform to improve global governance systems and promote the Shanghai Spirit -- the founding principles of the SCO. He emphasized the summit's potential to transform these principles into tangible actions in a world that faces rising tensions and rapid changes. He noted China's influential role within the SCO, commending the country's efforts to host a productive summit, as well as fulfilling its leadership role as the current holder of the organization's rotating presidency for 2024-2025. The expert also emphasized the organization's critical role in upholding the post-WWII international order and enhancing global governance. The SCO, established in 2001 in Shanghai by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, has expanded from a regional organization into a trans-regional organization with 10 full members, two observer countries, and 14 dialogue partners, covering over 60 percent of the Eurasian landmass and nearly half of the world's population. Shotlist: Tianjin Municipality, north China - Recent: 1. Aerial shots of cityscape; signs, banners featuring SCO summit on road; traffic Sri Lanka - Recent: 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Manjula Gajanayake, executive director, Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) (starting with shot 1/partially overlaid with shots 3-4): "The Shanghai Spirit is about trust, mutual benefit and respect in different cultures while working for shared prosperity. In today's world with tensions and fast changes, this summit is a chance to put those ideas into practice. There's a famous saying, when people are united in purpose, they can move mountains. The SCO really shows this by bringing countries together to build security, prosperity and trust across Eurasia. The summit can prove the Shanghai Spirit is more than words. It is a living way to build stability and prosperity in a world with many powers." [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] Tianjin Municipality, north China - Recent: 3. Aerial shots of signs, banners featuring SCO summit on road; traffic 4. Aerial shots of floral sculpture for SCO summit; sign reading (Chinese) "promoting Shanghai spirit"; buildings [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Beijing, China - July 15, 2022: 5. Various of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) headquarters, flags of member states, SCO logo, SCO Secretariat building Sri Lanka - Recent: 6. SOUNDBITE (English) Manjula Gajanayake, executive director, Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) (partially overlaid with shots 7-8): "China plays a key role in the SCO by leading the preparation for the summit. It is setting the tone for unity, cooperation and getting real results. China's vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, as well as its global development, security and civilization initiatives, offers a clear path that fits well with the SCO's goals." [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: China - Exact Location and Date Unknown: 7. Various of machine in operation 8. Various of solar panels, wind turbines [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: UN Headquarters, New York City - Date Unknown: 9. Various of UN headquarters, flags 10. UN logo Sri Lanka - Recent: 11. SOUNDBITE (English) Manjula Gajanayake, executive director, Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) (partially overlaid with shots 12-15): "This summit happens at an important time, the eightieth anniversary of victory in World War II and the founding of the United Nations. It reminds us that peace, security and prosperity don't happen by chance. They require everyone's effort and shared responsibility. It can promote joint action on security, trade, connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, making regional cooperation a foundation for global stability. Also, I would like to remind that, as former UN secretary general Kofi Annan once said, we may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race. Keeping that spirit alive through multilateralism is not just the SCO's duty. It is its strength." [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBIT] Tianjin Municipality, north China - Recent: 12. Various of buildings, river, bridge, traffic, vessels sailing FILE: Tianjin Municipality, north China - Date Unknown: 13. Port scene, containers being handled FILE: China - Exact Location and Date Unknown: 14. Aerial shots of vehicles at port; freight train running FILE: Tianjin Municipality, north China - Date Unknown: 15. Aerial shots of port scene, containers being handled [SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 16. Aerial shots of cityscape, buildings, traffic; river, vessel sailing, bridge. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]