Accelerating the construction of a China-Arab community with a shared future

Editor's note: Qian Xuming, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is an associate research fellow at the Middle East Studies Institute, Shanghai International Studies University. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 10th ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF) held in Beijing on May 30. This is the first ministerial conference of the forum after the success of the first China-Arab States Summit, so it is of great significance to the implementation of the outcomes of the China-Arab States Summit and accelerating the construction of a China-Arab community with a shared future for the new era.

This year marks the 20th anniversary since the founding of the CASCF. Over the past 20 years, the China-Arab relationship has deepened strategic mutual trust, continued to expand practical cooperation, and enriched people-to-people exchanges, resulting in an all-round, multi-level and wide-ranging pattern of cooperation. Within the framework of the forum, 19 cooperation mechanisms covering various fields have been established, and 85 outcome documents of various kinds have been issued, vigorously shaping the new outlook of China-Arab all-round practical cooperation.

In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony, President Xi said China is willing to work with the Arab side on an equal and mutually beneficial basis to build China-Arab relations into a model of high-quality cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Through the concerted efforts of both sides, positive progress has been made in the construction of the China-Arab community with a shared future, and the strategic mutual trust between the two sides has been further deepened.

China has been a force for good in the development of the Arab community. The country has established comprehensive strategic partnerships or strategic partnerships with 14 Arab countries and the Arab League. China has promoted the historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, supported Syria's return to the Arab League, supported Arab countries in strengthening their strategic autonomy, and called for a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue.

Practical cooperation between China and Arab countries is deepening: 17 Arab countries have become members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; China has signed cooperation documents with 22 Arab countries and the Arab League to jointly build the BRI, and the two sides have implemented more than 200 cooperation projects under the BRI framework. Beyond that, China has been the largest trading partner of Arab countries for many years.

At the first China-Arab States Summit in December 2022, President Xi Jinping put forward "eight major cooperation initiatives" for China-Arab practical cooperation, and both sides agreed to make every effort to build a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era. Since then, China-Arab relations have entered a new stage of deepening development and upgrading quality.

President Xi pointed out in his keynote speech that the "eight cooperation major initiatives" have made important early gains, and China is willing to use them as a basis for building "five cooperation frameworks" with the Arab side and step up the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future: the first being a more dynamic framework for innovation; the second is an expanded framework for investment and financial cooperation; the third is a more multifaceted framework for energy cooperation; the fourth, a more balanced framework for mutually beneficial economic and trade ties; and the fifth, a broader framework for people-to-people exchanges. 

China is hosting the 10th ministerial conference of the CASCF to further forge consensus, plan the blueprint and realize new prospects for China-Arab cooperation. The heads of state of Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates, who are visiting China this week, attended the opening ceremony of the ministerial conference of the CASCF together with President Xi. This reflects the defining characteristics of China-Arab cooperation, which is led by heads of state and top-level officials, as well as the common desire of China and the Arab countries to strengthen all-round cooperation in the new era.

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