China and Jordan to deepen cooperation under Belt and Road Initiative

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The Belt and Road Initiative and the one-China principle were on the agenda during a meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Jordan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Al Safadi in Beijing on Tuesday.

At the invitation of Wang, the Jordanian official is visiting China until Thursday.

2017 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Jordan. Wang said China attaches great importance to the strategic partnership with Jordan and is willing to continue providing support for Jordan’s stability and development, as well as for Jordan to play a bigger role in regional affairs.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (second right) speaks to his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi (not pictured) in Beijing on September 27, 2017. /CGTN Photo

Wang also appreciated Amman's adherence to the "one-China Principle."

Jordan, Nigeria, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Ecuador have ordered Taiwan to remove the “Republic of China” from the name of its representative offices on their soil. Wang said Jordan’s abidance by the principle will further boost mutual political trust and lay a more solid foundation for the development of bilateral ties.

China is Jordan’s largest import partner and second largest trade partner. In 2016, bilateral trade volume reached 3.17 billion US dollars, with Jordan importing mostly mechanical and electrical products, communication equipment, textile and apparel from China and exporting potash fertilizers.

Both China and Jordan have agreed to deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative in fields such as infrastructure, energy, culture and education.

In March this year, an oil shale-fired power plant in Attarat Um Ghudran secured a loan worth 1.5 billion US dollars from a consortium of Chinese banks. The engineering, procurement and construction of the plant is also led by a Chinese company, China’s Guangdong Power Engineering Corp.

Jordan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Al Safadi (center) speaks at a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (not pictured) in Beijing on September 27, 2017. /CGTN Photo

Safadi said Jordan wishes China could play a bigger role in solving disputes in the Middle East and promote development in the region.

The two ministers also exchanged opinions on issues relating to Palestine, Syria and the Iraqi Kurdish referendum.