This year marks the 30th anniversary of China-Qatar diplomatic ties, which have witnessed rapid development. In an exclusive interview with Beijing Review reporters Yu Lintao and Ma Miaomiao, Qatar's Ambassador to China, H.E Salmeen Almansouri, shared his views on the promising bilateral ties. The following is an edited excerpt from the interview:

Beijing Review: What would you consider to be the milestones in the bilateral relationship?

Ambassador Almansouri: Qatar and China established diplomatic relations in July 1988 and they have witnessed remarkable progress in all fields. The historic visit of then H.H Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the father of the current H.H Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, in 1999 laid the foundation for political, trade and economic as well as cultural and education cooperation between Qatar and China .

H.H Emir Sheikh Tamim's visit in November 2014 took the relation to a new height. A joint declaration on the establishment of a China-Qatar Strategic Partnership and many important financial and economic agreements were signed during that visit. They included the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Qatar-China cooperation on the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road.

Qatar inaugurated its offshore renminbi clearing center in 2015, which serves all Gulf states and other countries in the Middle East and some parts of Africa. Doha has become a center for international conferences and seminars.

How do you see the bilateral relationship developing?

Qatar is committed to the China market. We have dedicated a lot of investment in China. China today is the most developed and safest market for foreign investment because the China market is stable and growing very fast.

Our investment in China is almost $15 billion, mainly in the real estate and financial sectors, strategic fund companies and e-commerce investment such as in Alibaba since they are very fast moving sectors.

Regarding our pragmatic cooperation, the 2022 FIFA World Cup [to be hosted in Doha, Qatar] is approaching. A lot of Chinese companies are working on several projects in Qatar including developing the communication sector, construction and other facilities. The Lusail Iconic Stadium, the main stadium where the opening ceremony of the 2022 World Cup will be held, is being built by China Railway Construction Corp. Another Chinese company is building a second stadium.

However the central theme of cooperation between the two nations lies in the energy sector. Qatar's strategic significance to China's security will be shaped by Qatar's uninterrupted and expanding supply of natural gas to fuel China's rising demand for energy.

Qatar is the second largest natural gas provider to China, supplying more than 37 percent of its needs. Qatar is committed to provide China with more liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the next 22 years.

We dedicated 2016 as the Qatar-China Year of Culture. On that occasion, the two countries organized many cultural events here in China and in Doha as well. We seized that opportunity to present our rich culture and heritage to the Chinese people. Many Qatari artists and cultural groups visited China that year. Chinese cultural groups also visited Qatar to showcase their culture and heritage.

The Qatar-China Friendship Association plays an important role in enhancing the relations between the two peoples, engaging in public diplomacy and building a bridge of friendship. It will continue this important role.

Qatar Airways is one of the leading international airlines in China, operating flights to six destinations from the Chinese mainland, and one from Hong Kong. There are a lot of Chinese tour group traveling around the world. Some of them use Qatar Airways because we have a very big hub for international airlines, connected to Europe, Africa, the Far East and the United States. Many Chinese visitors can be seen in Qatar's markets or shopping malls. Last year, Qatar exempted visa requirements for Chinese and issued permanent residency to Chinese citizens. This decision contributed to increasing the number of Chinese tourists by 27 percent last year, compared to 2016.

Qatar was an important country along the ancient Silk routes and has the potential to play a significant role in the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China. What is your comment?

Since the Belt and Road Initiative was announced in 2013, Qatar has supported it completely. We studied the initiative very carefully and we think it is a noble initiative because it is based on the development of Asia, not only the development of China. Qatar is part of Asia. I think we must enroll in this initiative and contribute.

We are among the first members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Qatar has signed an MOU with China's National Development and Reform Commission to cooperate on the initiative. In fact, we were one of the first countries in the Gulf to sign this MOU.

The Belt and Road Initiative is based on many elements, one of them being maintaining stability across the world. Stability is very important. Without stability, you cannot have development. Without development, there is no stability. By promoting regional development, the Belt and Road Initiative is very positive for regional stability in the Middle East.

How do you see the effect of China's reform and opening up, which is in its 40th year now?

When we talk about development, there are many challenges for any nation. The challenges may be based on human resources, essential needs and financing capacity. When we talk about the China story in this regard, we see a big country with a huge population and vast territory, which adopted its own model of development. In fact, China succeeded in transforming from a poor country to the second largest economy in the world in less than 40 years. This is really a miracle we need to learn from.

Qatar is seeking to learn from China's development, how this reform and opening up system was established and carried out so successfully for decades. China needs to make sure that her experience is shown to the world in all its aspects so that we can truly learn from it. Now we are in China, trying to seek information and more details on China's reform and opening up and lessons from it.

Qatar is applying for full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). What does Qatar hope to contribute to the bloc and gain from it?

The SCO is in Asia and Qatar is also in Asia. Besides, some SCO members are now the leading countries in exporting energy, such as Russia. Qatar is also a leading exporter of LNG. To join the SCO would be very beneficial for Qatar and the organization itself.

Clean energy is now much in demand in the whole world, and the demand is going to rise. Qatar, as one of the leading countries in this field, would like to work with its partners as well as competitors in the SCO.

In addition, some of the most important things for all organizations are exchange of information, supporting each other in international affairs, and having exchanges in culture, heritage and all the elements that might be beneficial to all nations in Asia. This is the main motivation to be in the SCO.

How can China and Qatar cooperate in world affairs?

We are a small country, not only in territory, but also in population. But that has not restricted us from playing an important role in world affairs. In world affairs, there is no small country or big county. What really matters is how active you are and how beneficial you are to other members of the international community. China is an important country, a member of the UN Security Council, and has played a significant role in international affairs.

Qatar supports China on many international issues, and China has also supported Qatar on many occasions. The mutual understanding is very clear, based on high-level visits by the leaders of the two countries.

What about Qatar's presence at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai?

The CIIE is the first import expo to be held in China, which is a good change and a good way to look into China's economy. A lot of countries will play an active role in this expo. I am sure more expos of this kind would be held in the future. China has a vast market, there are a lot of possibilities for countries and companies to come and invest in the Chinese market.

As for this expo, though Qatar is a small country without too many companies, we can contribute in a different way. Qatar is participating in the CIIE as well as hosting a seminar on Qatar's economic situation during the expo, open to all exporters to discuss the commercial and economic relations between China and Qatar. The Minister of Economy and Commerce H.E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed Al Thani, and a high-level delegation will attend this expo.

Copyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar

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