As the largest and highest-level diplomatic event between China and the Arab world since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the First China-Arab States Summit on December 9 was an epoch-making milestone.

In his keynote speech, President Xi Jinping called on China and Arab states to foster a closer Sino-Arab community with a shared future by staying independent and defending the common interests of both sides, focusing on economic development and promoting win-win cooperation, upholding regional peace and striving for common security, and increasing exchanges among civilizations to enhance mutual understanding and trust.

Arab countries expressed hopes to work with China to continue to promote cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, step up communication and coordination on international and regional affairs, and respond to climate change, food security, energy security and other common challenges through cooperation.

Significance

The meeting is not about Arab nations choosing sides and even less about turning any region into a wrestling ground for major-country rivalry.

The summit represents a continuation of the resolve of China and Arab states to strengthen the institutional cooperation that began with the launch of the ministerial-level China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in 2004. Over the years, Arab countries have become more and more aware that China does not interfere in others' internal affairs, nor will it rope in one force against another. China supports Arab states in upholding sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, respects the development path chosen independently by the people of other countries, and is a reliable partner that will not impose its own values on others. This has been well manifested as Arab leaders attending the summit said the friendly relations between their countries and China are based on mutual respect, equal cooperation and mutual benefit.

On the Palestinian issue, China's firm support for Arab states has been consistent and unwavering. Arab leaders reiterated their countries' firm adherence to the one-China principle, unswerving support for China in safeguarding its core interests and opposition to any hostile actions against China.

Holding the First China-Arab States Summit was a joint strategic decision of both sides to strengthen solidarity and coordination in the face of global challenges. The summit provided an opportunity for participating countries to build more strategic common understandings on major regional and international issues, promote common development and defend multilateralism, and identify the pathways and practical measures to build a Sino-Arab community with a shared future in the new era.

The world today is in a new period of turbulence and transformation, and is in danger of division and confrontation haunted by unilateralism and hegemony. Arab countries are important members of the developing world and a key force for upholding international fairness and justice. Arab people value independence, oppose external interference, stand up to power politics and high-handedness, and always seek to make progress. China has all along viewed Arab states as strategic partners in its pursuit of peaceful development, cooperation with other developing countries and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. Deepening Sino-Arab strategic partnership would help bring about equity and justice and uphold world peace, prosperity and development.

Plus, China and Arab countries jointly promote peace, harmony, integrity and truth. The two sides keep drawing wisdom from each other's time-honored civilizations, advocate together inter-civilizational dialogue and communication, oppose discrimination and prejudice against particular civilizations, and reject the theory of the clash of civilizations. This is the strong endogenous driving force that transcends economic and trade cooperation, and has a much larger significance on humanity's progress. It is China's belief that countries should jointly advocate peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom—the common values of humanity, replace estrangement and clash of civilizations with exchanges and mutual learning, promote understanding and affinity between peoples, and build "a garden of civilizations" featuring mutual appreciation and inspiration.

Future oriented

China and Arab states enjoy a long history of friendly exchanges dating back more than 2,000 years. The two sides came to know and befriend each other through the ancient Silk Road, which inspired the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative that aims to enhance global connectivity. Since the 1950s, China has established diplomatic relations with all Arab states. They have become good friends treating each other as equals, good partners pursuing mutual benefit, and good brothers sharing weal and woe.

In the 21st century, Sino-Arab relations have continued to move ahead against a fluid international landscape, and have set an example for South-South cooperation in pursuing mutually beneficial collaboration. By conducting win-win cooperation in the tide of economic globalization and upholding fairness and justice in the changing international environment, Sino-Arab relations have achieved historic growth.

Collectively, China has established a future-oriented strategic partnership of comprehensive cooperation and common development with all Arab states. Individually, China has established comprehensive strategic partnerships or strategic partnerships with 12 Arab states, and signed documents on Belt and Road cooperation with 20 Arab states.

Among Arab countries, 17 have expressed support for the China-proposed Global Development Initiative, 15 have become members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and 14 have participated in the China-League of Arab States (LAS) Cooperation Initiative on Data Security.Under the framework of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, 17 mechanisms have been launched to expand and substantiate the cooperation agenda, giving a strong boost to Sino-Arab relations and providing a paradigm for the solidarity among developing countries.

China and Arab countries have seen their Belt and Road cooperation become better structured and increasingly fruitful. From the 2022 FIFA World Cup debut of Qatar's Lusail Stadium, which was built by Chinese companies, to the launch of direct freight shipping between China and Sudan, the trial run of Egypt's first electrified light rail, the Djamaa El Djazair mosque of Algeria, and the new headquarters of the Central Bank of Kuwait, China and Arab countries have jointly carried out over 200 large-scale projects in infrastructure, energy and other areas, benefiting close to 2 billion people of both sides. China has set up 20 Confucius Institutes and two Confucius Classrooms in Arab states and over 40 Chinese universities teach Arabic as a major.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China and Arab states have come to each other's aid and navigated through the difficulties together. They have carried out efficient cooperation in the fields of vaccine research and application, joint prevention and control, experience sharing, medical services and pharmaceuticals, setting a fine example of solidarity in fighting the virus.

After U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made her provocative visit to China's Taiwan region in August, the LAS Secretariat immediately issued a statement stressing its firm commitment to the one-China principle. China highly appreciates the annual adoption of the resolution on strengthening relations with China by the Council of Foreign Ministers of the LAS. This demonstrates the firm determination of Arab states to develop relations with China and reflects the profound traditional friendship and solid strategic partnership between China and Arab states. 

The author is an op-ed contributor to Beijing Review and an expert on international studies

Copyedited by G.P. Wilson

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