A Chinese will be first-ever chairman of SCO

A Chinese will be the first-ever chairman of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Guchang said.

According to him, the candidate for this position has already been chosen and will be approved by heads of the six states during the next SCO summit to be held in Moscow next week.

Diplomatic sources in Beijing told RIA Novosti that the candidate for this position is Zhang Deguang, the current Ambassador of China to Moscow. After the approval of his candidature, he will hold the position for three years, in line with the SCO Charter.

Liu Guchang added that the headquarters of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation initiated by Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan will be permanently located in Beijing.

He added that the SCO countries were ready to complete the creation of an anti-terrorist structure. The fight on terror is a common cause for the SCO member-states, Liu Guchan added.