2019 China-Arab States Expo: Countries gather in Ningxia to deepen economic & trade co-op
Updated 10:38, 06-Sep-2019
China and Arab states are now looking to deepen their strategic partnership. They're pledging to expand their practical cooperation to more countries along the belt & road as a 2019 China-Arab States Expo opens today. 
To mark the event, in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous region, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the participants. He says that he hopes to promote all-round, future-oriented cooperation with Arab countries, as well as high-quality development within the Belt and Road initiative. 
Officials and businessmen from some 90 countries have signed up for the 4-day expo. This year's focus is on collaboration in high-tech industries such as 5G networks, artificial intelligence and modern agriculture. Last year, bilateral trade between China and Arab countries enjoyed a 28 % growth year on year, reaching more than 240 billion US dollars.