On March 14, 2016, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov of Azerbaijan who was in China to sign the memorandum of understanding on accepting Azerbaijan as a dialogue partner with Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Foreign Minister Wang Yi extended warm welcome to Azerbaijan for joining the big family of SCO, and believed Azerbaijan will work with other SCO member states and observers to carry forward the "Shanghai spirit" and actively promote SCO's development. Both sides spoke highly of the key results achieved by President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan during his visit to China last year. The two sides agreed to actively implement the key consensus reached by the two heads of state, and play their respective advantages to jointly advance the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt. The two sides also exchanged views on strengthening cooperation in the framework of international and regional organizations.