China hosted the 10th ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum on May 30 in Beijing, in an attempt to deepen its relationship with Arab states in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
At the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized on the creation of an independent Palestinian state and pledged increased humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza.
The summit was co-chaired by China‘s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Mauritanian counterpart Mohamed Salem Ould Merzouk. High-ranking officials from 22 Arab countries attended the meeting, including key leaders such as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Tunisian President Kais Saied, and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
In his keynote speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized China‘s commitment to expanding cooperation with Arab nations in five key areas: innovation, financial investment, energy cooperation, trade, and people-to-people exchanges. He expressed “a model for maintaining world peace and stability.”
“We will … strive together for solutions to hotspot issues that uphold fairness and justice and sustain peace and security,” he said.
The forum concluded with the adoption of two important documents: the Beijing Declaration and the Action Implementation Plan.
Beijing Declaration
The Beijing Declaration outlined strategies to enhance the China-Arab community and strengthen bilateral cooperation. It also emphasized joint efforts to address regional crises, counterterrorism, human rights issues, climate change, and advancements in artificial intelligence.
The Action Implementation Plan detailed a framework for enhancing economic, political, infrastructural, and aviation cooperation over the next two years.
The summit featured bilateral meetings, including one between Xi and el-Sissi. They signed agreements to boost cooperation in infrastructure, technology, and food imports, reflecting China’s significant investments in Egyptian state projects. These projects include the Suez Canal economic zone and a new administrative capital east of Cairo, with investments totaling around $14 billion in 2023.
“China’s priorities in the region are primarily economic,” said Maria Papageorgiou, a lecturer in politics and international relations at University of Exeter. “It wants to continue the momentum established in recent years with Gulf states and expand its investments, particularly in trade, technology (5G networks), and other cyber initiatives.”
Additionally, China seeks to position itself as a credible alternative to Western nations, offering partnerships that do not interfere in domestic affairs, he stated.
Beyond economic ties, China is increasingly engaging diplomatically in the Middle East. Notably, in 2023, Beijing brokered an agreement to restore diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, a role traditionally played by global powers like the United States and Russia
China’s support for Palestinians
A significant aspect of the summit was China’s continued support for Palestinians. President Xi reiterated calls for an independent Palestinian state and announced 500 million yuan ($69 million) in humanitarian aid for Gaza.
He also pledged $3 million to a United Nations agency assisting refugees of the Israel-Hamas conflict. This support came amid escalating violence in the region, with the Palestinian death toll exceeding 36,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Egyptian President el-Sissi praised China’s efforts to support a ceasefire in Gaza and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. He urged the international community to take decisive action to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and to counter any attempts to displace Palestinians forcibly.
Xi Jinping meets UAE leader
During the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a series of meeting with Arab leaders to expand collaboration and deepen ties in the Middle East and African region.
In his meeting with the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Beijing, President Xi Jinping noted that the UAE is an important comprehensive strategic partner of China. In recent years, China-UAE relations have maintained a sound momentum of development, setting a good example for China-Arab states relations in the new era.
I was pleased to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing today to discuss ways to build upon the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our two nations. As we celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations between the UAE and China, our enduring partnership continues to… pic.twitter.com/mNpFou3IrM
— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) May 30, 2024
Xi said China stands ready to work with the UAE to support the development of bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership. Xi called on the two sides to consolidate cooperation in areas such as trade, energy and infrastructure, expand cooperation in high-tech fields such as information technology (IT), artificial intelligence (AI), digital economy and new energy, and strengthen law enforcement and security cooperation. Chinese leaders also expressed willingness to continue to support the “Hundred Schools Project” of Chinese language education in the UAE, to enhance people-to-people exchanges, and friendship between the two countries.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed expressed his admiration for the Chinese people’s resilience in overcoming challenges, which has enabled the remarkable progress and development the country continues to experience today.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the UAE.
The two sides also exchanged views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and agreed that the top priority should be comprehensive ceasefire and cessation of fighting to ease the humanitarian crisis, and that the international community should support an early negotiated settlement of the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-State solution.
Xi Jinping held talks with King of Bahrain
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on Friday held separate talks on the sidelines of the summit. They announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
Chinese president said that “Bahrain is a good friend and partner of China in the Gulf region.” Xi said China is ready to work with Bahrain to develop their comprehensive strategic partnership and to bring more benefits to the two peoples as this year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Bahrain.
He said that China supports Bahrain’s path of independent development, as well as Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 and is willing to strengthen cooperation with Bahrain in the fields of energy, investment, transportation, new energy and digital economy, and achieve more results in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
King Hamad said that “Bahrain is deeply grateful that China has provided significant support for its national construction” and hopes to expand comprehensive strategic partnership to align the development strategies of the two countries.
Chinese and Tunisian leaders meet on the sidelines of summit
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tunisian President Kais Saied announced the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries on Friday.
Saied said he is pleased to pay a historic visit to China on the occasion of marking the 60th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties, and attend the opening ceremony of the 10th ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. “Tunisia enjoys profound friendship and fruitful cooperation with China, and the country expects more support from China for its national development and closer cooperation in health, transportation, green development and education to raise bilateral relations to a new level,” he said.
On his part, Xi said that China is willing to work with Tunisia to continue the traditional friendship, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields and push bilateral relations to a new level. “Today, we announced the establishment of China-Tunisia strategic partnership, which will open up an even brighter future for our relations,” he said. China looks forward to deepen cooperation with Tunisia in fields such as infrastructure construction and new energy, foster new growth engines for cooperation in medical and health care, green development, water resources, agriculture and other fields. Xi also welcomed high-quality Tunisian products into the Chinese market.
The two leaders also exchanged views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Xi stressed that China’s position is highly consistent with that of Arab countries, and China is ready to work with Arab countries to promote a comprehensive, just and lasting two-state solution.
President Xi meets Egyptian president
Chinese President Xi Jinping also held a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi in Beijing.
El-Sissi, accompanied by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, witnessed the signing together with Xi Jinping in a ceremony that coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Egypt-China comprehensive strategic partnership.
Xi recalled out that 68 years ago, Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China. Xi called on the two sides to build a dynamic China-Egypt relationship with focus on increased cooperation. Stressing that the world is in the midst of profound and complex changes and that the Middle East region is in deep crisis, Sissi said Egypt looks forward to further deepening its comprehensive strategic partnership with China and working to promote regional peace and stability.
China has invested billions of dollars in Egyptian state projects, including the Suez Canal Economic Zone and the new Administrative Capital east of Cairo. Investments between Egypt and China amounted to around $14 billion in 2023, according to the data by Egypt’s statistics agency.
The Egyptian side welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest in and cooperate with Egypt, which will help the development of Egypt’s manufacturing industry and industrialization process, Sissi said. He encouraged Chinese investment in information technology and communication, artificial intelligence (AI), clean energy, food security and finance.
Chinese FM meets Saudi counterpart
On May 31, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. The two sides reviewed the Saudi-Chinese relations and explored ways to strengthen them in various areas. They also exchanged views on current regional and international developments, especially the Gaza situation, and discussed efforts to address the crisis.
Wang said that China is ready to work with Saudi Arabia to expand cooperation in energy, investment, emerging industries, 5G communications, AI, digital economy, aerospace and other fields, and promote green and sustainable development.
Faisal said that Saudi Arabia will continue to be firmly committed to expanding mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in various fields and promoting the sustainable development of Saudi Arabia-China comprehensive strategic partnership. He also thanked China for upholding a just position on the Palestinian issue.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also held separate meetings with Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, Somalian Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, Comorian Foreign Minister Dhoihir Dhoulkamal.
The China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, established in 2004, continues to be a crucial platform for dialogue and collaboration between China and Arab nations. With China being a significant trading partner for many Arab countries, the forum underscores the growing economic and political ties between the two regions.