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ASTANA, June 9-- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states to strengthen solidarity and cooperation as the organization expanded membership and China took over its rotating chair. Speaking at the annual summit of the SCO in Astana, Kazakhstan, Xi also urged the member states to join hands to tackle challenges, enhance people-to-people bonds, and uphold openness and inclusiveness. China took over the rotating chair of the SCO after the Astana summit concluded on Friday and will host its next summit in June 2018. Xi said China will contribute an additional 10 million yuan (1.47 million U.S. dollars) to the SCO Secretariat to facilitate its work. He proposed setting up a media cooperation mechanism among the SCO member states, saying China would like to host the first SCO media summit. "We should carry forward the fine tradition of solidarity and coordination," Xi said. "All member states, old and new, should work in close coordination, deepen mutual trust and increase mutual support in their endeavor to build a community of shared future featuring equality, mutual support, solidarity and sharing of weal and woe," he said. The remarks came as the SCO accepted India and Pakistan as its full members on Friday in its first expansion since founding, making it the world's most populous regional cooperative organization and the largest by area. | 
