Xi's speech to bring China, Arab states ties to new heights

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the eighth ministerial meeting of China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF) and deliver a speech, and this is expected to bring the ties between China and Arab states to new heights, a senior official said Friday.

Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong told a press briefing that the opening ceremony, which is scheduled for July 10 at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, will gather Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, foreign ministers or other ministerial officials from 21 Arab countries, as well as secretary general of the Arab League.

It will be Xi's third time to articulate China's policy to the Arab world, indicating that China attaches great importance and gives full support to developing ties with the Arab countries and construction of the CASCF, Chen said.

The CASCF, founded 14 year ago with ever increasing size and influence, has facilitated China's cooperation and communication with the Arab states as a whole, Chen said.

The convening of the ministerial meeting is at the right time and meets expectations of both sides, he added.

Chen said Xi's attendance of the opening ceremony and his speech will be the highlight of the meeting, and is of great significance and will have far-reaching influence.

Xi will elaborate on the Chinese side's view on strengthening top-level design of China's relations with Arab states, mapping out collective cooperation, and instructing the construction of the CASCF, Chen said.

Chen said Xi will put forward new proposals on further cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative between China and Arab states, many of which are forward-looking, innovative and pioneering.

According to Chen, several documents will be adopted during the meeting, including a Beijing declaration and a 2018-2020 action plan, covering more than 10 areas of cooperation.

The documents will blueprint a clear road map for the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative in the future, he said.

On the peace and development in the Middle East, Xi will elaborate on the "China Solution" to the current issues in the region, said Chen.

China stands ready to work with Arab states to promote the peace and development in the Middle East and build a China-Arab community with a shared future so as to contribute more to the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, he said.

The development of relations between China and Arab states is conducive to both sides, the region and the world, he said.

"President Xi's speech will inject new impetus into the relations between China and Arab states, improve prospects of cooperation between the two sides, and bring new hopes to the regional peace," said Chen.