On June 14, 2006, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov and Uzbek President Islam Karimov attending the 6th meeting of the Council of States of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) jointly planted the commemorative tree in Shanghai.

In June 15, 2001, the heads of states of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan met in Shanghai and jointly issued the Declaration on Establishment of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, announcing the establishment of the SCO on the basis of the "Shanghai Five" mechanism.

At 6:00 p.m. June 14, the heads of state of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan arrived at Yixing Pavilion of Xijiao Hotel by car. 6 Chinese children who had been waiting there welcomed the heads of state. Hand in hand with the six heads of state, they went to the planting area. The heads of state planted a Yulan magnolia tree with great enthusiasm. Yulan magnolia is the city flow of Shanghai. The heads of state earthed up the tree with shovels and watered it together with the children. Later the six heads of state unveiled the planting monument, commemorating the 5th anniversary of the SCO and the 10th anniversary of its predecessor, i.e. the "Shanghai Five" mechanism.

Later the six heads of state came to the Yixing Pavilion, reviewing the evolution of the SCO over the past 5 years and talking about the future development of the organization.