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Saturday, 05 August 2017
 

Moonlight: Silk Road to Activate China-Arab Economic Cooperation

The idea of building the one Belt and one Road is an excellent project, and it considered the connecting

link between Arab and People’s Republic of China, the Chinese President Xi Jinping has a strategic dimensions when he was urging joint efforts in building Silk Road economic Belt. 
Chinese president Xi Jinping made the remarks in his address at the opening historic ceremony of the sixth Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab states Cooperation Forum (CASCF) held in Beijing which called on the two sides to carry forward the Silk spirit and deepen their cooperation.
Xi Jinping noted that in negotiations, China and Arab states need to pool wisdom and share good ideas with each other to achieve desirable results in their joint endeavor, so that the development of the “One Belt and One Road” will accommodate the interests and concerns and reflect the wisdom of the Chinese administration which has future dimensions and always seeks to make common partnership with Arab states through this strategic project. In implementation, Xi said, China and Arab states need to do their best to bring into playing their respective advantages, tap the potential and register major achievements from accumulated efforts in a preserving way. He added that sharing means China and Arab states need to make more development achievements benefits people of the two sides in a fairer way and build a community of shared interests and common destinies for China and Arab states. This is a positive step and strategic from the Chinese administration to promote this economic project with Arab nations and represents a good chance for the both sides to catch it to activate their communication process and Arab states would respond this a major diplomatic move of the Chinese government geared toward the entire Arab world under the new conditions and also a momentous event in the history of China –Arab relations, carrying the significance of building on past achievements and shaping the future.
The China –Arab Cooperation Forum was established in January 2004 following a joint announcement by China and Arab states at the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo and with focus on long-term growth of China Arab relations in the new century. It was a natural outcome of the growing political mutual trust and thriving practical cooperation between the two sides and was a highly relevant new measure taken by the two sides to ride the tide of globalization and regional cooperation. The establishment of the Forum, rooted in time honored friendship, driven by mutually beneficial cooperation and aimed at common development, was a reflection of the strategic will and common choice of China and the Arab states.
A decade of efforts through thick and thin have now come to fruition. The China- Arab Cooperation Forum has developed, under the Forum’s framework, over ten cooperation mechanisms including the Ministerial Conference, the Senior Officials Meeting, the business conference, investment seminar, and the seminar on China – Arab relations and inter-civilization dialogue, the friendship conference, the conference on energy cooperation, the forum on media cooperation, the senior health officials meeting and the Arab arts festival in China and Chinese arts festival in Arab states. With such tremendous enrichment of friendly exchanges and increased variety of win- win cooperation models, the China – Arab Cooperation Forum has become an important brand leading the growth of China – Arab relations.
The past decade has been one of increasingly mature political mutual trust between China and Arab states. In 2010, the Forum’s fourth Ministerial Conference issued the Tianjin Declaration, announcing establishment of the China- Arab strategic cooperative relationship for comprehensive cooperation and common development under the framework of the Forum and a new stage in China – Arab collective dialogue and cooperation was unveiled. China always has supported Arab states in independently exploring development paths compatible with their national conditions and in restoring the legitimate rights of their nations, including Palestine’s right to an independent Palestinian state. Likewise, Arab states gave invaluable support to China on issues concerning China’s major interests and core concerns, and provided generous assistance to China in time of disasters such as the Wenchuan earthquake. During the past ten years, the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Arab League has adopted resolutions on many occasions on strengthening Arab – China friendly relations in various fields. Cooperation with China has become a consensus among Arab states.
The deepening of China – Arab strategic cooperation needs a solid foundation. The two sides need to maintain the momentum of high – level exchanges, ensure the success of the Ministerial Conference, the senior officials, meeting and other meeting mechanisms at various levels within the historic Forum’s framework, conduct dialogue and consultation on global issues in political, economic and security fields, and demonstrate the strategic importance of their relations. The two sides need to give mutual support with regard to issues concerning each other’s core and major interests, step up coordination and collaboration in regional and international affairs, and turn the balance of power in favor of developing countries, and advance shared interests.