China-Arab ties open a new chapter; President Xi's Middle East visits: Highlights of the China-Arab Summit #XiJinping #MBS #China #SaudiArabia #GCC #ArabWorld

"Fruitful results 

Following the first China-Arab States Summit on Friday, the leaders of China and the member states of the Arab League issued the Riyadh Declaration, agreeing to strengthen cooperation and enhance the China-Arab strategic partnership. China and Arab states are committed to deepening China-Arab cooperation in various fields through the mechanisms under the framework of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. The declaration stressed that the Arab states firmly adhere to the one-China principle, support China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and reaffirm that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China's territory. 

China and states of the GCC also agreed on Friday to strengthen their strategic partnership, issuing a joint statement to stress the importance of taking their strategic partnership into a new era in such fields as politics, economy and culture. 

China and Saudi Arabia released a joint statement on the same day affirming to continue making the China-Saudi relationship a priority in their respective foreign relations, and build a model of solidarity and cooperation for mutual benefits among developing countries. The two countries also agreed to enhance the comprehensive strategic partnership to include a biannual meeting between the two heads of state, and upgrade regular high-level talks led by premier level. 

"We will continue to work very closely with each other to not just serve the interests of our country, but to serve the interests of world peace and global cooperation," Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, said responding to a question raised by Global Times reporter during a press conference in Riyadh on Friday evening. 

China as Saudi Arabia's main key partner is one of the Kingdom's priorities in the country's foreign policy and Saudi Arabia is very satisfied that it has a strong working relationship with China, the minister said. 

China does not engage in advocating for geopolitical small clique and does not make calculation for geopolitical interests, and it treats Arab countries with sincerity, which is widely welcomed by countries in the region, Wang noted. Many leaders of the regional countries said that there is no upper limit for the friendly cooperation with China, he said. 

"In my opinion, this visit is a milestone in the history of China-Arab relations, marking the continuous development of China-Arab friendship and ushering in a new era of cooperation and coordination," Firas Fadel Hassan, editor of the Emirates News Agency, told the Global Times. 

It has provided an opportunity for leap-forward development of China-Arab relations. The summits emphasized the importance and necessity of strengthening and deepening strategic exchanges and coordination among friendly countries, and are committed to promoting world peace and global development, and safeguard the interests of the Gulf and Arab countries, Hassan said. 

China's propositions during the summits will help promote the development of both sides, improve the economic situation, improve the living standards of both Chinese and Arab people, the editor continued. They will promote international trade, enhance China's international image, enhance China's international competitiveness, while promote the development of Arab countries.

Besides the energy sector in which China and the Gulf countries have been deepening cooperation, the two sides agreed to explore cooperation in many new areas especially in cutting-edge technologies such as 5G and 6G, digital economy and space, echoing the trend of the cooperation between China and Arab countries in the future.

"Those milestone summits largely elevate the cooperation mechanisms between China and Arab countries, making the future high-level interactions between the two sides more frequent and more significant," Liu Zhongmin, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Sunday." 

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