Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called on China and Arab states to deepen cooperation and step up the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future.
Xi made the remarks in a
keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 10th ministerial conference of
the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF
CHINA-ARAB RELATIONS SCALING
NEW HEIGHTS
China-Arab relations have
kept scaling new heights since the beginning of the new century. At the first
China-Arab States Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in December 2022, China and
Arab states agreed to build a China-Arab community with a shared future in the
new era.
Xi said that China is
satisfied with the progress that has been made in delivering on the first
China-Arab States Summit's outcomes. China will work with the Arab side to
enhance the role of the summit in providing strategic guidance for continued
"leapfrog growth" of China-Arab relations.
Xi announced that China will
host the second China-Arab States Summit in 2026, which is set to be another
milestone in China-Arab relations.
As changes unseen in a
century unfold rapidly across the world, both China and Arab states strive to
accomplish their historical missions of national rejuvenation and faster
national development. Building a China-Arab community with a shared future is a
strong statement of the common desire for a new era of China-Arab relations and
a better future for the world, Xi said.
Xi said China will work with
the Arab side to make China-Arab relations a model for maintaining world peace
and stability, a fine example of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, a
paradigm of harmonious coexistence between civilizations, and a model for
promoting good global governance.
It is believed that the
strategic mutual trust between China and Arab states will be further
consolidated, cooperation in various fields will be comprehensively promoted,
and the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future will see more
solid steps, said Li Chen, ambassador for CASCF affairs of China's Foreign
Ministry
Xi said that China supports
closer cooperation between financial institutions from the two sides, and
welcomes Arab banks to join the Cross-border Interbank Payment System.
China will further enhance
strategic cooperation with the Arab side on oil and gas, and is ready to work
with the Arab side on new energy technology R&D and equipment production,
according to Xi.
China stands ready to
accelerate the negotiations on bilateral and regional free trade agreements,
welcomes active participation of the Arab side in the China International
Import Expo, and is willing to expand import of non-energy products from the
Arab side, especially agricultural products, Xi noted.
China is ready to establish
with the Arab side the China-Arab Center of Global Civilization Initiative, Xi
said, adding that China plans to work with the Arab side to achieve the goal of
10 million two-way visits of tourists in the next five years.
The development of
Arab-China relations has broad prospects and great potential, and both sides
have a sincere desire to further enhance relations and strengthen cooperation.
It is believed that the work and achievements of the China-Arab States Cooperation
Forum will have a pragmatic and positive role in promoting the development of
both sides in various fields, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said
STICKING TO TWO-STATE
SOLUTION
The Middle East is a land
bestowed with broad prospects for development, but the war is still raging on
it. Since last October, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has escalated
drastically, throwing the people into tremendous sufferings, Xi said.
He stressed that war should
not continue indefinitely, justice should not be absent forever, and commitment
to the two-State solution should not be wavered at will.
China firmly supports the
establishment of an independent State of Palestine that enjoys full sovereignty
based on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital. It supports
Palestine's full membership in the U.N., and supports a more broad-based,
authoritative and effective international peace conference, he added.
China will continue to
provide assistance to help ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and support
post-conflict reconstruction, and support the work of the U.N. Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in providing emergency
humanitarian assistance to Gaza, Xi said.
China has fully implemented
the Global Security Initiative, actively promoted the political settlement of
regional hotspot issues, and brokered a historic reconciliation between Saudi
Arabia and Iran, a move that not only helped ease tensions within the region
but also catalyzed a wave of reconciliations among Arab states and within the
broader region, said Wu Sike, China's former special envoy to the Middle East.
Bahrain highly appreciates
China's firm support for the just cause of the Arabs, especially on the
Palestinian question, its tremendous efforts to alleviate the suffering of the
people in Gaza and its full support for the establishment of an independent
State of Palestine, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said.
The 10th ministerial conference of the CASCF adopted the Beijing Declaration, the CASCF execution plan for 2024-2026, and a China-Arab states joint statement on the Palestinian issue.
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