SHANGHAI, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The exchange of diversified cultures will serve as a "soft power" to enhance mutual understanding among member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and accordingly promote regional stability and prosperity, a Chinese scholar said.

    Su Chang, a researcher engaged in central Asia affairs with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, made the remarks before the SCO summit slated for June 15 in Shanghai.

    "Cultural exchanges and cooperation within the SCO is at an initial stage in comparison with that in security and economic fields. Yet a solid foundation has been laid for cultural exchanges since all the SCO members have long history of civilizations and share a common wish for cultural dialogues," Su said.

    This year marks the fifth anniversary of the founding of the SCO, which comprises China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The summit will also include an artistic festival with performances presented by all member states and observer countries including Mongolia, India, Pakistan and Iran.

    As Chinese President Hu Jintao said in a joint interview with media representatives from the six SCO member states at the end of May, the summit will review the developments of the organization over the past five years, analyze international and regional situations, study the organization's future development and outline cooperation plans.

    "Cultural cooperation is commonly believed as a low-cost cooperation with high returns," Su said, explaining that cultural cooperation and economic cooperation have been considered as the major "soft power" and "hard power" in international politics.

    In the 21st century when the whole world calls for peace and development, cultural cooperation will play a more prominent role in quenching misunderstanding and hostility among different peoples and nations, the scholar said.

    "The SCO as a regional organization will right play this role, with all member states conducting a wide range of cooperation based on mutual respect for each other's traditional cultures and values," she said.

    Su stressed that cultural exchanges and cooperation will also help SCO member states fight the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and establish a new political and economic order around the globe.

    SCO member states hold different cultures and various religions such as Buddhism, Taoism, Islam and Orthodox. To strengthen cultural cooperation among SCO member states will provide a platform for dialogues among peoples of different ethnic groups, and make different cultures boom in peaceful coexistence instead of conflicts, Su said.

    She explained that SCO member states have conducted dialogues on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. They always bear in mind the "Shanghai Spirit" which features mutual respect for different civilizations and common prosperity. The smooth development of the SCO over the past five years has showcased that different civilizations could achieve peaceful coexistence within a pluralism mechanism.

    SCO member states have made remarkable achievements in cultural and educational cooperation with a series of agreements signed and various cultural activities held, Su said. "There is a great potential for future cooperation that demands long-term joint efforts."

    She stressed cultural cooperation among SCO member states should be carried out in a multilateral way instead of the current bilateral way. More market-oriented cooperation should be carried out at non-governmental levels instead of merely depending on governments.

    Statistics showed that SCO member states as a whole cover more than 30 million square km, or three fifths of the European and Asian continents. And 1.489 billion people live in SCO member states, around one fourth of the world's population.

    "More people in the SCO member states should be mobilized to participate in the cultural cooperation, so that more people can enjoy the benefits brought by such pluralism cooperation," Su said. Enditem