This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF). The 10th Ministerial Conference of the CASCF was successfully held on May 30, 2024 in Beijing. Leaders and foreign ministers from both China and the Arab States attended the conference.
The theme of the conference was Working Toward a China-Arab Community with a Shared Future. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech at the opening of the conference. The conference adopted three important outcome documents, which are the Beijing Declaration, the Forum Action Plan for 2024-2026, and the China-Arab States Joint Statement on the Palestinian Issue. The conference further built consensus between China and Arab states, planned for co-operation in the next stage, and made a common voice of China and Arab states on the Palestinian question.
The CASCF has made remarkable achievements since its establishment 20 years ago, and has yielded important outcomes in multiple aspects under the care and attention of the leaders from China and the Arab states. China’s relationship with many Arab states has developed from a “partnership” to a “strategic co-operative relationship”, and further upgraded to a “strategic partnership”, achieving leapfrog development.
With the efforts of both sides, China-Arab strategic mutual trust has been continuously deepened, practical cooperation has brought tangible benefits to both peoples, people-to-people and cultural exchanges have been further enriched, and active progress has been made in building a China-Arab community with a shared future.
Over the past two decades, CASCF contributed significantly to the development of China-Arab relations, and has become the signature platform for collective China-Arab cooperation and written a splendid chapter in South-South cooperation characterized by mutual respect, mutual benefit and mutual learning.
CASCF is a role model for maintaining world peace and stability. China and the Arab countries respect the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, the independent choice of every nation and the reality formed in history. Our two sides uphold the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs, practice true multilateralism, and defend the legitimate rights and interests of the developing countries.
China is ready to deepen strategic mutual trust with Arab states, and firmly support each other in safeguarding sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, and strive together for solutions to hot-spot issues that uphold fairness and justice and sustain peace and security. China supports the Arab countries in promoting political settlement of hot-spot and challenging issues with Arab wisdom, and building a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security architecture in the Middle East.
CASCF is a role model of mutually beneficial co-operation between countries. China and the Arab states have strengthened synergy between our development strategies, and promoted high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. As we consolidate co-operation in traditional areas including economy and trade, energy and infrastructure development, we have broadened new sources of growth such as green and low-carbon development, health and medical services, and investment and finance.
Co-operation in science and technology will nurture new highlights in our relationship. China will work with Arab countries to enhance co-operation on AI to make it empower the real economy and to promote a broad-based global governance system on AI.
CASCF is a role model of harmonious coexistence between civilizations. China and the Arab countries respect the diversity of civilisations, uphold the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness among civilisations. We advocate that cultural exchanges transcend estrangement, mutual learning transcend clashes, and coexistence transcend feelings of superiority.
Peace, truth, integrity and inclusiveness are the common pursuit of both Chinese and Arab peoples. China is ready to work with the Arab countries to increase personnel exchange, deepen people-to-people co-operation, and promote the sharing of governance experience, and create a fine example of mutual learning among civilisations in the new era.
CASCF is a role model for promoting good global governance. The international community is confronted by regional disputes as well as global issues such as climate change, terrorism, cybersecurity and biosecurity, and deficits in governance, trust, peace and development are getting wider. China and the Arab countries have enhanced co-operation to improve the global governance under the principle of “planning together, building together, and benefiting together”, and worked to address the various challenges and global issues facing humanity.
China will work with the Arab countries to champion an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalisation, and strengthen communication and coordination with Arab countries at the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation, the International Monetary Fund, BRICS, the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation and other multilateral platforms.
The past 20 years has proven that CASCF is a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of the international order, and a provider of public good. China will continue to work with the Arab countries to carry forward the spirit of China-Arab friendship and build a better future.