Let Us Take Real Action to Build a China-Arab Community
With a Shared Future
Beijing, May 30, 2024
Your Excellency Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, Arab Co-chair of the
Ministerial Conference and Foreign Minister of Mauritania,
Your Excellency Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of
Arab States,
Distinguished Colleagues,
Friends,
Good morning. I am delighted to meet you all again in Beijing and join
you at the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States
Cooperation Forum (CASCF).
This is the first ministerial conference of the Forum since our leaders met
for the first China-Arab States Summit in 2022. The theme of our
Conference is Working Toward a China-Arab Community with a Shared
Future. We are pleased that significant progress has been made in
building a China-Arab community with a shared future under the
guidance of Arab leaders and President Xi Jinping since their first summit
and that the China-Arab relationship is now at its best in history.
With our leaders guiding the way forward through head-of-state
diplomacy, China and Arab countries have built a stronger strategic
mutual trust. We have had more high-level exchanges. We have firmly
supported each other on issues that bear on our respective core interests and are of major concern to us. A total of 14 Arab countries have
established comprehensive strategic partnership or strategic partnership
with China, making the Arab region one of the biggest clusters of China’s
strategic partners.
With tangible progress in delivering on the outcome of the first
China-Arab States Summit, China and Arab countries have
deepened and substantiated our results-oriented cooperation. China
has listed 30 development cooperation projects involving Arab countries
in its Global Development Initiative (GDI) Project Pool. 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.
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. There are more and more Arab fans of Chinese films, TV
programs, and books. And more and more of our people are learning each
other’s language.
Today at our meeting venue, a large photo frame featuring the flags of
Arab states and the Arab League is on special display. These flags have
been sent on a tour to and from China’s space station. After the
Conference, we will present it to our Arab friends as a memento of the
China-Arab friendship that transcends time and space.
Distinguished Colleagues,
Friends,
This morning, President Xi Jinping, King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa,
President Abdul Fatah Al-Sisi, President Kais Saied and President
Mohamed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan attended the opening ceremony and
delivered the keynote addresses. A new consensus has been reached.
President Xi Jinping announced that the second China-Arab States
Summit will be held in China in 2026. The Summit will be another
historic milestone in China-Arab relations. In his speech, President Xi
Jinping stressed that China will work with the Arab side to make our
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. His remarks point the way forward for building
a China-Arab community with a shared future. President Xi has also
proposed that we build together “five cooperation frameworks”. His
proposal, which is built on the “eight major cooperation initiatives” for
results-oriented China-Arab cooperation, will bring our cooperation in the
new era to a new height.
A blueprint has been drawn, and the key lies in its implementation. Going
forward, we need to truly act on the consensus of our leaders and the
outcomes of today’s Conference. To that end, I wish to propose four
priorities:
First, China and Arab countries should remain committed to greater
strategic mutual trust and firmly support each other on issues which
bear on our 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. China will
continue to support Arab countries in upholding your 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.
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. China firmly supports
full U.N. membership for Palestine, which is a call echoed by the
international community. China is also 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. 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.
China will continue to stand in solidarity with Arab states. We will speak
up and stand up for justice, and work for an early solution to the question
of Palestine that is comprehensive, just and sustainable.
Second, China and Arab countries should deepen results-oriented
and mutually beneficial cooperation and upgrade such cooperation to
a higher level. China supports Arab countries in your 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. 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 advance in tandem.
China will continue to expand trade with Arab countries so that our
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.
This will be your investment in the future as you will share in the
dividends of China’s development and rejuvenation. China also hopes for
cooperation 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.
Third, China and Arab countries should strengthen cooperation at
the international level and work together to maintain the right
direction of global governance. 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. 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.
Fourth, China and Arab countries should enhance institution
building of our 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. 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. On the new
journey of building a China-Arab community with a shared future, 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.
Distinguished Colleagues,
Friends,
As an Arab saying goes, “Words proved by action are the most
powerful.” President Xi Jinping said on a number of occasions that what
you do is more important than what you say. Let us take real action to
translate the blueprint for a China-Arab community with a shared future
into reality. Let us take the Ministerial Conference as a new start to create
a brighter future for China-Arab relations!
Thank you.
