The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, whose six member states have a combined territory accounting for three-fifths of Eurasia, is a pioneering undertaking reflecting their peoples' common wish for peace, development and cooperation.

It has blazed a new path for interactions between countries and wrought innovations in international security cooperation. So it is no surprise that this year's SCO summit, which opens today in Beijing, has grabbed the attention of the international community.

How the leaders of the six countries chart the future of the SCO will not only shape the development of the regional organization itself, but also have far-reaching consequences for the world's geopolitical landscape.