BEIJING, June 1st (ABP) – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held in the afternoon of Thursday, May 30, 2024 in Beijing with Arab Co-chair of the Ministerial Conference and Foreign Minister of Mauritania, Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug and Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, a joint press conference where he proposed four priorities in order to translate the blueprint for a China-Arab community with a shared future into reality.
According to him, the first priority is that China and Arab countries should remain committed to greater strategic mutual trust and firmly support each other on issues which bear on their respective core interests. ” China highly appreciates Arab countries’ valuable and long-standing support to us on issues which involve our core interests and are of major concern to us “, he disclosed, stressing that China will continue to support Arab countries in upholding their sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national dignity, in enhancing solidarity and cooperation and strengthening self-reliance, in promoting political settlement of hotspot issues, and in safeguarding security and stability in the Middle East.
He pointed out that the question of Palestine is at the heart of the Middle East issue. ” No matter how the international landscape evolves, China will remain steadfast in its support to the Palestinian people in restoring their legitimate national rights, and to the earlier establishment of an independent State of Palestine that enjoys full sovereignty based on the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital “, he highlighted, corroborating the remarks by President Xi Jinping specifying that China firmly supports full United Nations (UN) membership for Palestine, which is a call echoed by the international community, and is ready to do more to help achieve Palestinian reconciliation. ” We support the convocation of an international peace conference that is more broad-based, more authoritative, and more effective “, he added.
The current situation in Gaza is unsustainable. An unconditional and immediate ceasefire is an international consensus. Improvement of humanitarian conditions on the ground is an urgent imperative. The lives of innocent civilians must no longer be ignored and must not be harmed, Foreign Minister Wang underscored, promising that China will continue to stand in solidarity with Arab states to speak up and stand up for justice, and work for an early solution to the question of Palestine that is comprehensive, just and sustainable.
Chinese Diplomat Wang put forward the second priority according to which China and Arab countries should deepen results-oriented and mutually beneficial cooperation and upgrade such cooperation to a higher level. He noted that China supports Arab countries in their efforts to accelerate industrialization, build more critical infrastructure projects, and undertake more small and beautiful projects that will bring tangible improvement to people’s livelihood.
He disclosed that China will remain a long-term partner of Arab countries for strategic cooperation in the energy sector. ” We will help Arab countries build more flagship energy projects and create a dynamic where cooperation in the traditional and new energy sectors advances in tandem “, he pointed out, adding that China will continue to expand trade with Arab countries so that their peoples can all share the benefits that come along with trade liberalization and facilitation.
China will work with Arab countries to cultivate new growth drivers in the high and new technology industries, foster synergy of industries, universities, research institutes and end users, leverage the opportunities brought about by digital, Internet-based and smart technologies. China welcomes more investment from Arab countries, Minister Wang pointed out, expressing his hope to further cooperate with Arab countries in areas of governance, public health, youth, and education so that the China-Arab friendship will be carried forward from generation to generation.
The penultimate priority he proposed is that China and Arab countries should strengthen cooperation at the international level and work together to maintain the right direction of global governance. He pointed out that China stands ready to strengthen communication and coordination with Arab countries on multilateral platforms, such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
China and Arab countries call for an equal and orderly multipolar world. ” We will practice true multilateralism, and say no to hegemonism and power politics “, Diplomat Wang stressed, revealing that China will work with Arab countries to promote mutually beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, boost trade prosperity, easy investment, greater flow of people and technological advancement, and oppose any form of unilateralism and protectionism.
The last priority is that China and Arab countries should enhance institution building of their Forum in the interest of a China-Arab community with a shared future. The China-Arab States Cooperation Forum has travelled a journey of 20 years since its establishment, Minister Wang recalled, adding that over the past two decades, the Forum contributed significantly to the development of China-Arab relations while improving itself in step with the times. It has become the signature platform for collective China-Arab cooperation and has written a splendid chapter in South-South cooperation characterized by mutual respect, mutual benefit and mutual learning, he said.
On the new journey of building a China-Arab community with a shared future, he said, China is ready to work with Arab states to carry forward the spirit of China-Arab friendship, and strengthen the key roles of the Forum in promoting political dialogue, expanding results-oriented cooperation, deepening cultural exchanges, and providing guidance for good global governance. ” We should see to it that the Forum continues to serve as a high-quality platform for building a China-Arab community with a shared future, and work together to make the next 20 years of the overall China-Arab cooperation more remarkable “, he said.
The Foreign minister of the People’s Republic of China recalled that with tangible progress in delivering on the outcome of the first China-Arab States Summit, China and Arab countries have deepened and substantiated their results-oriented cooperation. ” China has listed 30 development cooperation projects involving Arab countries in its Global Development Initiative (GDI) Project Pool “, he pointed out, revealing that a total of 45 development cooperation or aid projects to the benefit of Arab countries are underway or under consideration.
All of the 22 Arab countries are partners of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China applies zero-tariff to 98 percent of taxable goods from the Arab least developed countries, and has helped train more than 3,400 professionals in various sectors for Arab countries. ” The “eight major cooperation initiatives” are delivering tangible results “, he express his satisfaction.
Minister Wang further disclosed that with more exchanges and more mutual cultural learning, the Chinese and Arab peoples have developed a stronger friendship and better mutual understanding. ” We have issued a joint statement on implementing the Global Civilization Initiative. The cultural and people-to-people exchange programs and events, such as the first China-Arab Youth Development Forum, have attracted many of our young people “, he said, specifying that there are more and more Arab fans of Chinese films, TV programs, and books, and that more and more of their people are learning each other’s language.
As an Arab saying goes, “ Words proved by action are the most powerful ”, Foreign Minister Wang Yi quoted President Xi Jinping who said on a number of occasions that ” what you do is more important than what you say “. To this end, he encouraged the two Arab leaders to work synergistically and take the Ministerial Conference as a new start to create a brighter future for China-Arab States relations.