Qatar's Minister of Commerce and Industry HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad bin Qassim al-Thani and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA)'s protocol director HE ambassador Ibrahim Fakhro and other dignitaries were present.
In his address, the Chinese envoy hailed the long history of positive and constructive relations with the Arab world and in particular the steadily growing Qatar-China relations on all field for the mutual benefit of both countries and their people.
"Over 1,300 years ago, Chinese merchant ships, laden with porcelain and silk, embarked from Guangzhou and navigated the renowned Maritime Silk Road,” he said. “They sailed the vast ocean and reached the Arabian Peninsula, forging a close relationship between China and Qatar.”
“This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of strategic partnership between China and Qatar,” Cao said.
The ambassador noted that "under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani”, China-Qatar relations have gone through a "golden decade" of comprehensive and rapid development and have become a model of unity and mutual benefit among developing countries.
"The mutual trust between China and Qatar has continued to deepen,” Cao said. “President Xi Jinping and His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani have met six times in the past decade and reached many important consensus on deepening the China-Qatar strategic partnership, drawing up a blueprint for and lending strong impetus to the friendly co-operation between our two countries."
The envoy stressed that "the co-operation between China and Qatar have achieved fruitful outcomes in various fields”.
“The bilateral trade volume has grown from $10.6bn in 2014 to $24.5bn in 2023, an increase of over 130%,” he said. “Since 2020, China has been Qatar’s largest trading partner and largest export destination.”
"Qatar has become China’s second-largest source of liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports globally,” Cao continued. “From the new energy buses that plied in the country during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, to the electric vehicles that recently debuted in Qatar, and the contract for 18 QC-Max LNG vessels signed by Chinese and Qatari companies this year, China and Qatar have formed a new model of highly complementary, mutually beneficial and promising co-operation."
The ambassador noted that the people-to-people exchanges have become closer as more and more Qatari youth are learning Chinese.
"Four batches of Qatari young students participated in the ‘Chinese Bridge’ summer camp in China, and the first HSK Chinese Proficiency Test Centre was established in Doha this year,” he said.
"The number of direct passenger flights between China and Qatar has increased from around 30 to 61 per week over the past two years,” Cao added. “The number of Chinese tourists visiting Qatar reached 56,000 in 2023, marking a 240% increase year-on-year.”
"The first pair of giant pandas in the Middle East, Suhail and Thuraya, will mark the second anniversary of their arrival in Qatar,” the envoy said. “The two lovely giant pandas are growing up healthily and happily in the Panda House at Al Khor, and have brought joy and excitement to the people of Qatar.”
“They have become envoys of friendship between the Chinese and Qatari people,” Cao remarked.
The ambassador also stressed the massive developments and successes of China over the past years to improve the life of the ordinary people.
"Currently, China strives to improve its opening up mechanism, actively connects with international economic and trade rules," he added.
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