On May 16, the 33rd session of the Council of Heads of State of the League of Arab States (LAS Summit) opened in Manama, the capital of Bahrain. President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to King Hamad of Bahrain, the rotating chairman of the conference, highly affirming the League's long-term commitment to promoting the unity and self-strengthening of the Arab world and promoting peace, stability and development in the Middle East, and pointing out that China-Arab relations are currently in the best period in history. The two sides are working together to build a China-Arab community with a shared future and unite to address various challenges that may arise at present and in the future.
China and Argentina have always been good brothers who trust each other. Since the establishment of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in 2004, China-Arab relations have achieved a "triple jump" from "partnership" to "strategic cooperative relationship" and then to "strategic partnership". In December 2022, the first China-Arab States Summit was successfully held, and President Xi Jinping and Arab leaders comprehensively mapped out the blueprint for the development of China-Arab relations, and agreed to make every effort to build a China-Arab community with a shared future for the new era. Mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, joint opposition to hegemony and power, and opposition to ideological confrontation are the most important consensus between China and Arab countries and the most valuable wealth of China-Arab relations. For the 44th time in a row, the Council of Foreign Ministers of the League of Arab States adopted a resolution on friendship with China, reaffirming its support for the one-China principle. Fifteen Arab countries signed a joint statement by the Third Committee of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, and by the 53rd and 54th sessions of the Human Rights Council. China firmly supports Arab countries in safeguarding their own political security and social stability, pursuing the path of independent development, and strengthening themselves in unity. At the initiative of President Xi Jinping, China has facilitated a historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran, leading to a "wave of reconciliation" in the Middle East.
China and the Arab States have always been good partners for joint development. China-Arab economic and trade cooperation is full of vitality, China has been the largest trading partner of Arab countries for many years, and the trade volume between China and Arab countries has continued to grow. At the same time, the areas of practical cooperation between the two sides are extending from traditional energy, trade and investment, and engineering construction to emerging fields such as communications, nuclear energy, and aerospace satellites. The cooperation between the two sides in the fields of green development, culture and education, journalism, radio and television, youth exchanges, and health care has also achieved new developments, which have widely benefited the Chinese and Arab peoples. China actively encourages and supports domestic enterprises and financial institutions to deepen cooperation with Arab countries in the fields of railways, highways, ports, aviation, electric power, telecommunications and other infrastructure, and gradually expand the scale of project operation and cooperation, so as to help improve the infrastructure level of Arab countries. Chinese brands, Chinese speed, and Chinese technology have won praise from the people of Arab countries.
China and the Arab States have always been good friends of inclusiveness and mutual learning. There is no difference between high and low. Today, when the future and destiny of all countries are closely linked, the inclusive coexistence and exchange and mutual learning of different civilizations play an irreplaceable role in promoting the modernization process of human society and prospering the garden of world civilizations. Both the Chinese civilization and the Arab civilization are treasures of world civilization, and together they have set a model of pluralistic coexistence and harmonious coexistence for human civilization for thousands of years. The Riyadh Declaration issued by the first China-Arab States Summit clearly states that "promoting the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom for all mankind". At the first Liangzhu Forum in December 2023, the League of Arab States became the first regional organization in the world to jointly issue a document on the implementation of the Global Civilization Initiative with China. In the face of the current chaotic world, China and Arab countries have clearly demonstrated their own concept of civilization and worked together to implement the Global Civilization Initiative.
China and Arab States have always been fellow travelers in defending justice. The national rights of Palestine for an independent state cannot be traded, the acts that infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of Palestine cannot be legitimized, and the just historical demands of the Arab nation cannot be ignored for a long time. China has always stood on the side of peace and fairness and supported the just position of Arab countries. Since the outbreak of the new round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, China has maintained close communication and coordination with the vast number of Arab countries through bilateral and multilateral channels to safeguard fairness and justice. The joint delegation of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers made China the first stop in their mediation efforts. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Secretariat of the League of Arab States jointly issued a joint statement on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, agreeing that the top priority at the moment is to immediately achieve a ceasefire and cease hostilities, ensure humanitarian assistance, and promote a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state solution at an early date.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. Over the past 20 years, under the guidance of the diplomacy of the heads of state, the Forum has always adhered to the purpose of strengthening dialogue and cooperation and promoting peace and development, and has become a golden brand for promoting collective dialogue and practical cooperation between China and Arab States, making important contributions to promoting China-Arab relations and setting a successful example of South-South cooperation. At the end of this month, the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum will be held in Beijing, which is the first ministerial meeting held after the first China-Arab States Summit. It is believed that it will become a grand meeting for China and Arab countries to share friendship, seek common development and talk about the future.
Set sail in the same boat and sail through the wind and waves. The cooperation between China and Arab countries in various fields has yielded fruitful results, which is in line with the aspirations of the Chinese and Arab people for development. Looking to the future, China's cooperation with Arab countries has a strong momentum and broad prospects. As President Xi Jinping said, China is ready to work with Arab countries to continue to carry forward the spirit of China-Arab friendship, build a China-Arab community with a shared future, and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind.