NEW DELHI, Sept. 18 -- China welcomes and supports India to become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Thursday.

Founded in 2001, the SCO groups China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It has Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia and Pakistan as observers, and Belarus, Turkey and Sri Lanka as dialogue partners.