Arab World and China Cooperation and News.

[艹艹艹]

 

[Saif al-Arab]

China and Saudi Arabia to cooperate on lunar explore. MOU for Chang E-4 lunar mission was signed between CNSA and KACST on 16 Mar.

https://twitter.com/x/status/842704588327342085

Big news.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

People's Daily, China
President Xi and Saudi #KingSalman oversee signing of deals worth US$65 billion

Chinese President #XiJinping held a welcoming ceremony for King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia at the Great Hall of the People in #Beijing on Thursday. The two heads of state oversaw the signing of deals worth potentially 65 billion US dollars.

China and Saudi Arabia signed 14 cooperative agreements during a visit by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, said Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Ming on Thursday.

Those agreements covered a wide range of cooperation areas, said Zhang, noting that a memorandum of understanding on production capacity and investment cooperation between the two governments worth about 65 billion U.S. dollars involves 35 cooperative projects.

Very cordial as usual.

Saudi Arabia signs 21 MoUs with China, grants trading licenses for two companies

The key focus on the latest meeting on Thursday was to find further opportunities for Chinese investments in coordination with by Saudi Vision 2030 initiatives in multiple fields. (SPA)

Staff writer, Al Arabiya English
Thursday, 16 March 2017

At least 21 Memorandums of Understandings were signed in the latest Saudi-China Business Forum meeting that was attended by Saudi King Salman.

The key focus on the latest meeting on Thursday was to find further opportunities for Chinese investments in coordination with by Saudi Vision 2030 initiatives in multiple fields.

Also on Thursday, two Chinese companies – Shandong Tiangong Mechanical & Electrical Equipment Limited Company and ZTE – were granted licenses to invest and trade in Saudi Arabia.

Deputy Chinese Foreign Minister Zhang Ming said the agreements involved investment, energy, space and other areas.

King Salman, who has overseen the launch of an ambitious economic reform plan since his accession two years ago, is on a month-long Asian tour.

Boost of trade relations between East and West
Saudi King Salman Chinese President Xi Jinping also attended in Beijing the conclusion ceremony of Roads of Arabia Expo at China National Museum.

The King and the Chinese President toured the Expo containing ancient and rare artifacts which represent the long history of the Arabian Peninsula and introduce the civilizational dimensions of the Arabian Peninsula and the cultural heritage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The artifacts displayed in the Expo cover the period extends from the Old Stone Age (one million years Before Christ (BC) since prehistoric times, and the establishment of the Saudi state until the reign of late King Abdulaziz, the founder of modern Saudi state.

China's efforts and Kingdom's participation in building the economic belt of Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road come to boost trade relations between the East and the West and increase the interaction between civilizations.





Last Update: Thursday, 16 March 2017 KSA 16:30 - GMT 13:30

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/bu...rabia-sign-agreements-worth-about-65-bln.html

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Great diplomatic effort to expand business ties , the experience shows

Wow cooperation on Lunar Space mission , tremendous news for both countries did not see that coming so quickly

 

[Saif al-Arab]

People to people relations (Arab-East Asian/South East Asian relations)

Arab-Indonesian mix: (Nabila Syakieb)

https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nabila_Syakieb



Fera Feriska (half Yemeni and half Chinese)

There are quite a lot of half Saudi and half Filipino/Malaysian/Indonesian children in KSA. Usually due to you know what. What is striking is that the Asian part is dominating although you can see that such people are mostly mixtures and what is better they turn out really beautiful in general. The women that is.

Miss Universe Philippines from 2015 was half Arab (Saudi) and half Filipino.

https://twitter.com/x/status/559531688980525061

Half Arab (mostly Yemeni and Hijazi as almost all Arab Indonesians and Arab Malaysians are from Arabia originally) half Indonesian/Malaysian (Chinese origin)





Faith Alqahtani (half Saudi and half Filipino)



Her Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/faithalqahtani/





There have actually been quite a few Arab-Chinese intermarriages in the GCC, mainly UAE, of late due to the big Chinese diaspora in the UAE.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_people_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates

Also there are at least 200.000 people in KSA of Han Chinese origin (Hui mainly) who are citizens and expats. One of our generals is a Hui Chinese.

In Ta'if there is a whole neighborhood called Chinatown due to the many people of Chinese origin. Not many people know but now those who see this post will know.

Chinese cyclist visiting the Chinese Saudi Arabian community.

A well-known Chinese restaurant in Ta'if (one out of numerous) that is very good.

Ta'if is a beautiful Hijazi mountain town located almost 2000 meters above sea level. The climate is pleasant all year round.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta'if

 

[Saif al-Arab]

A friendly remainder of what has been signed in the past 6 months and what has occurred between KSA and China.

Wider Sino-Saudi cooperation in innovation, technology sought ​

MOHAMMED RASOOLDEEN | ARAB NEWS STAFF | Published — Tuesday 8 November 2016

KACTS President Prince Turki bin Saud bin Mohammed Al Saud and Wan Gang, Chinese minister of science and technology, in Beijing after their meeting on Sunday.​

Prince Turki's statement was sent to Arab News from Beijing, where he attended the G-20 Science, Technology and Innovation Ministers’ Meeting this week.
The meeting was a follow-up to one held by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense, in Beijing in September.
In his speech as head of the delegation, the prince said that the Kingdom views innovation as a key to develop talent, technology, infrastructure, investment, institutions and programs needed to take the country forward in a balanced manner.
Such features, he said, could promote innovative projects, enhance patent and marketing programs, set up incubators, produce accelerators for ownership programs for small and medium enterprises and help set up industrial centers.
During his meeting with Wan Gang, Chinese minister of science and technology, the prince stressed the importance of boosting cooperation between the two countries in various promising areas such as water, energy and materials, biotechnology, space and aviation technologies, and the need to expand this cooperation significantly to include the areas of innovation, technology incubators, and the creation of small- and medium-sized enterprises in the two countries.
KACST recently set up the Saudi-Chinese Center for technology transfer to promote small- and medium-sized enterprises in accordance with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the National Program 2020.
Earlier this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia and signed several bilateral agreements to launch a new phase in relations between the two countries. Fourteen cooperation agreements were signed in different fields, including the economic belt and Silk Road, nuclear and renewable energy, combating terrorism and culture and industry.
China and the Kingdom agree on the principle of noninterference in the internal affairs of other countries and are aligned in their positions on major international and regional issues.
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil exporter and the largest trading partner of China among Arab and Muslim countries, while China is also the largest trading partner of the Kingdom.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1007821/saudi-arabia

Saudi Arabia and China sign security pact

​

Saudi Arabia and China have increased bilateral cooperation in recent months [Getty]

Date of publication: 7 November, 2016

Saudi Arabia and China have agreed to increase cooperation on security and counter-terrorism issues, following talks in Riyadh on Sunday between the two countries' leaders.

A five-year plan for security cooperation was signed between the two nations following talks involving King Salman al-Saud, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

This follows a deal struck between the two nations in August, when Mohammed bin Salman visited Beijing. This resulted in 15 preliminary agreements on areas ranging from housing to energy.

Saudi media outlets are touting the visit as part of the kingdom's economic overhaul which aims to reduce its reliance on oil experts.

To this end, Riyadh hopes that such visits will present the oil-rich kingdom as a hub for business and investment opportunities.

Last month, China and Saudi Arabia held their first joint military drills as part of Beijing's latest effort to strengthen ties with the Middle East.
China said it faces a growing threat from terrorism as its global footprint expands, as well as its diplomatic involvement in Middle Eastern affairs.

Members of each side's special forces took part in a fortnight of training focusing on combat skills and tactics near China's southwestern city of Chongqing.

https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2016/11/7/saudi-arabia-and-china-sign-security-pact

Saudi Arabia, China to boost strategic relations ​

FOUZIA KHAN | Published — Thursday 17 November 2016

A delegation from the Chinese Consulate headed by the Chinese Commercial Consul Lee Chiang visited the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday.​

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia is a major partner in the Gulf and Middle East for China, and China is keen to raise economic ties and strategic relations between the two countries.

A delegation from the Chinese Consulate visited the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce (JCCI) for the promotion of International Trade, headed by the Chinese Commercial Consul Lee Chiang on Monday.
The delegates met with the acting Secretary-General Hassan bin Ibrahim Dahlan where they discussed aspects of the partnership, the development of investments, and economic and trade relations between the two countries at all levels.
China is willing to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, and synergize the One Belt, One Road Initiative with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, said Lee.
Lee explained that there are a number of investment opportunities and aspects of joint cooperation. He expressed his country’s desire to establish a number of joint projects to strengthen the bonds of economic relations and be part of the efforts in confronting the economic challenges facing the region.
Chiang said China is looking forward to working with Saudi Arabia and boosting coordination in international and regional affairs, and wants to meet the aspirations of the leaderships and peoples of both countries, especially in light of the economic recovery experienced by the Kingdom and China.
He said China is one of the economic players in the international market; major Chinese companies and businesses are seeking cooperation with their counterparts in the Kingdom, especially in the areas of petrochemicals, natural gas, electricity generation, water desalination, transportation, telecommunications, and electronics.
He praised the qualitative leap made by Saudi-Chinese relations, as China ranked as first partner in trade and economic exchanges with Saudi Arabia in the Arab world.
He also pointed out that China’s economic and industrial momentum is diverse in the Asian market, and the Kingdom with its natural, industrial and economic resources is a leading partner for China.
Dahlan said Saudi-Chinese economic relations, and joint projects between the two countries are results of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
He said the visit and meetings of officials in the private sector from both the countries, and the holding of exhibitions and exchanges of economic delegations, are important and necessary for development and mutual cooperation. Saudi and Chinese cooperation is fostered by the leadership of the two countries who are looking forward to increasing trade exchange.
He confirmed the readiness of the JCCI in the consolidation of commercial and industrial cooperation relations among Saudi business owners and their Chinese counterparts, and to provide everything that would expand the circle of this cooperation, and introduce investment opportunities available in the Kingdom, in general, and Jeddah in particular, and promote and attract local and international investors. The Kingdom has enormous available trade and investment opportunities in various regions of the Kingdom.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1011826/saudi-arabia

Saudi Arabia, China sign security cooperation pact​

Nov 7, 2016

Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, hosts working luncheon with Special Envoy of Chinese President Meng Jianzhu. — SPA​

Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — A five-year action plan for cooperation in the field of security training between Saudi Arabia and China was signed here on Sunday.

The agreement was signed during a meeting between Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior, and Meng Jianzhu, member of the Politburo of the Central Committee, secretary of the Central Political Legal Committee, special envoy of the Chinese President.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-arabia/saudi-arabia-china-sign-security-cooperation-pact/

King receives special envoy of Chinese president​

Nov 7, 2016

​

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman received at Al-Yamama Palace in Riyadh on Sunday Meng Jianzhu, who is Member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China, secretary of Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission and special envoy of the Chinese president.

Meng conveyed to the King the greetings of President Xi Jinping. In a separate meeting, King Salman received an invitation from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of Armed Forces of United Arab Emirates.

The invitation was conveyed to the King by Ambassador of United Arab Emirates to the Kingdom Mohammed Saeed Al-Dhahiri. — SPA

http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-arabia/king-receives-special-envoy-chinese-president/

A lot has been happening in the past 2 months alone.

A few recent examples out of many:

Saudi Arabia buys high-tech China drones ​

ARAB NEWS | Published — Thursday 1 September 2016

ROBUST DEFENSE: Wing Loong drones will enhance Saudi forces’ capability to monitor borders.​

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has signed a contract with China for the purchase of an unspecified number of pterodactyl planes, also known as Wing Loong or medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned drones, according to a report in Al-Watan newspaper.
The Chinese unmanned drones are modeled after MQ-1 Predator; they have surveillance capabilities and are able to carry two air-to-ground missiles.
According to the Global Times, the Kingdom is the first Arab country to obtain such types of drones, which were developed by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group.
According to a press statement from the company last year, its drones are sold to four countries, including an unnamed country in Central Asia, while a series of negotiations are still going on with other potential clients.
The pterodactyl flies more than 4,000 km in 20 hours, and has a total payload capacity of up to 200 kg. It is equipped with laser-guided sensors.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/978446/saudi-arabia

Joint anti-terrorism drills held in China:

​

Arabic caligraphy and Chinese calligraphy is well-known across the world and also unique. Here is a wonderful video that blends those two unique styles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_calligraphy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_calligraphy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_calligraphy

Made in China:

 

[艹艹艹]

 

[Saif al-Arab]

SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Vision 2030 provides mutual opportunity, says Chinese envoy
ARAB NEWS | Published — Friday 19 January 2018

Chinese ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Li Huaxin

RIYADH: The Chinese ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Li Huaxin, has said that his country considers Vision 2030 an opportunity for integration between the two countries, and that China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is compatible with it.
In a press statement, Li said that a visit to China by the Saudi justice minister and chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, Walid Al-Samaani, represented a new round in consolidating bilateral relation.
“The two sides discussed a draft agreement for civil and commercial judicial cooperation between the two countries. This agreement is co-welcomed because the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and its programs represent a great opportunity to deepen partnerships and commercial exchanges,” Li said.
The ambassador added that legal measures taken by the Saudi government against corruption were part of an ambitious initiative to clean up the investment environment for the benefit of all partners, including Chinese companies.
“The new steps taken by the Ministry of Justice in launching commercial courts in different regions reflect tangible evidence that the Kingdom is a state of law, and sends a message to the world that it is working to establish rights and justice in order to support the investment environment in the Kingdom,” he said.
In 2016, bilateral trade reached $43 billion.
In the cultural field, Li said that the two sides had agreed to translate 50 Saudi books into Chinese and 50 Chinese books into Arabic.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1228841/saudi-arabia

Uranium mining in KSA (KSA is rumored to have one of the largest uranium reserves in the world) have begun in KSA with Chinese partners.

https://mobile.sabq.org/nYgFcv

Nuclear Power Saudi Arabia’ Uranium Mining began
Saudi Arabia and South Korea has agreement between them to develop the world's smallest nuclear power plant with output of 100mw.

By
admin
December 17, 2017

Saudi Arabia starts Uranium mining project
ONGOING NUCLEAR POWER TUSSLE BETWEEN COUNTRIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST IS EXPANDING WITH SAUDI ARABIA JOINING IN THE LIST.

Saudi Arabian Kingdom recently inaugurated Uranium excavation project with the help of China.

In January this year Saudi Arabia hinted at development of Uranium mining projects initiatives as part of National Transformation Project by 2030. The Arabian Kingdom already finalized Uranium mining projects in several locations.

Plan is to mine Uranium and make Saudi Arabia a self sufficient nuclear power. Saudi Arabia and South Korea has agreement between them to develop the world’s smallest nuclear power plant with output of 100mw. These one of a kind power plants can be installed in several parts of the Saudi Kingdom.

For Self reliance Saudi Arabia identified several locations in many regions of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia also worked out a clear regulation systems that could control all the future nuclear power plants. As per some reports available with Defence Network team the initial goal is to achieve 80 GW of electricity generation per year as soon as possible. Later reach their ultimate goal of producing 100GW of electricity by 2030.

Saudi Electricity Company owns majority of power generation of the kingdom. Plan is in place to divide the SEC in to several companies.

KA Care – The King Abdullah Center for Atomic and Renewable Energy was intended to bring all renewable and nuclear power plant under single entity which will be responsible mega projects for the future power generations such as solar power plants and Nuclear reactors.

But it is still unclear which company will take over nuclear power generation.

Nuclear Atomic reactors requires enriched Uranium of around 5% purity. But with this same process by enriching heavy metals can produce enough material for weapons.

This is seen as a grave concern by western countries as religion enemies Iran and Saudi Arabia joining nuclear elite make matters even worse than it is today’s. But with signing of nuclear agreements with Iran and western countries, Iran agreed to put an hold on their work towards nuclear power for the next 15 years. As per the agreement Iran can enrich Uranium of below 4% purity which is enough for commercial power generation.

With this new thrust on mining Uranium Saudi Arabia will be the second country with nuclear power in the region UAE. But soon it is expected that many other countries will join the list starting from United Arab Emirates. UAE set to start its first nuclear reactors built by South Korean company. Reactor will start its operation in late 2018. UAE on its part committed itself not to enrich Uranium or reprocess the spent fuel to make them weapon grade.

Saudi Arabian Kingdom is planning to build 17 to 19 nuclear power plants by 2030. Opening up nuclear power plant manufacturing sectors to crowd king’s palaces for lucrative deals.

As per preliminary investigation reports states that Saudi Arabia has consists Uranium ore deposits of 60,000 Tones.

Why nuclear power plant?

Kingdom believes that nuclear power generations are cost effective, greener in futuristic point of view. Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest exporter of petroleum products. Tapping on nuclear energy or Atomic power generation is a move to diversifying its energy procurement. It is expected that Saudi Arabia will sign its first contract for two nuclear power plant by 2018. Mining of Uranium ore is seen as initiative to become self sufficient in nuclear fuel production to power their nuclear plants without any hindrance from western countries.

https://www.defencenet.in/nuclear-power-saudi-arabia-uranium-mining-began/

Old news from September 2017 but not covered in this thread;

China says its bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia have entered a new era.

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli made a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia from August 23 to August 25. During his visit, China and Saudi signed a series of deals worth nearly $70 billion. Zhang said that China-Saudi Arabia cooperation was going to enter a new, more robust, sustainable, and fruitful era.

China and Saudi Arabia’s relationship is getting significantly warmer recently. Days Before Zhang’ visit, Saudi Minister of Energy, Industry, and Mineral Resources Khalid Al-Faleh had just visited Beijing and met with Zhang on August 18. In the meeting, both sides vowed to strengthen economic ties.

Soon, Zhang met Khalid Al-Faleh again in Jeddah on August 24. During the meeting, Al-Faleh revealed that China and the Kingdom had signed 60 various agreements and memoranda of understanding worth nearly $70 billion, according to Saudi Arabian news agency SPA. China’s news agency Xinhua said the agreements covered investment, trade, energy, postal service, communications, and media.

Enjoying this article? Click here to subscribe for full access. Just $5 a month.
Besides Al-Faleh, the two most important figures Zhang met were Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The meeting with the crown prince is particularly noteworthy. As King Salman’s favorite son, Mohammed was just appointed crown prince in June 2017. As first deputy prime minister, minister of defense, and president of the Council for Economic and Development Affairs, the crown prince, 31, is the de facto person in charge of Saudi foreign policy, security and the oil industry—the country’s main source of wealth. He is also known for his ambition, or—from perspective of his critics—aggression.

Showing his ambition for the country, the crown prince in 2016 initiated a national strategy called “Vision for 2030,” aiming to make the Kingdom a global investment powerhouse and the heart of the Arab and Islamic world while also diversifying the country’s economy, which is heavily dependent on oil.

His vision seems to match well with China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which was put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013.

Since 2016, the crown prince has started to pave the road to cooperating with China. In August 2016, he led a committee to Beijing, met President Xi Jinping and signed 15 agreements with his Chinese counterpart. The trip was seen as the start of a closer relationship between China and Saudi Arabia.

Thediplomat

Related thread;

https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/chin...ys-its-bilateral-relations-with-ksa-h.516410/

President praises 'friends' at Arab expo
By Wu Yunhe and Guo Shaoyu in Yinchuan | China Daily | Updated: 2017-09-07 09:00
President Xi Jinping called the Arab states "good friends" and important partners in constructing the Belt and Road in his letter of congratulations to the 2017 China-Arab States Expo.

The expo, which brings together Chinese and Arab business leaders to cooperate on science, finance, energy, agriculture, healthcare, tourism and culture, opened on Wednesday in Yinchuan, capital of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

The president also hailed the cooperation and achievements between the two sides.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2017-09/07/content_31669637.htm

Interview: China-Saudi Arabia ties rapidly developing: Chinese Ambassador
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-23 09:50:29|Editor: Yang Yi


by Xinhua writers Xia Yuanyi, Wang Bo

RIYADH, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Saudi Arabia is often a hub of activity with diplomatic missions and events, evidence of ties warming up between the two countries, said Li Huaxin, Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

"In January, 2016, President Xi (Jinping) visited Saudi Arabia and announced the lifting of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in a joint communique with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. From then on, our relations have quickly developed," the ambassador said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

The West Asian country has been China's top crude oil supplier for many years straight. Meanwhile, the latter is the former's biggest business partner, with bilateral trade reaching 42.36 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, according to Chinese official figures.

After more than 140 Chinese enterprises began tapping Saudi Arabia's markets, including in the energy, housing, construction and telecommunication industries, the "1+2+3" model has taken shape, said Li.

Specifically, the model refers to the energy industry as the core of business ties, with two supporting industries, namely infrastructure, and trade and investment, and three emerging, cutting-edge trade areas, mainly nuclear power, aerospace and renewable energy rounding out the center.

The ambassador also said that in the four years since the Belt and Road Initiative was put forward by China in 2013, Saudi Arabia has emerged as an important player along its route.

"The two partners bilaterally cooperate not only on economic and trade, but also on culture and education," Li said.

In 2013, Saudi Arabia hosted the Janadriyah Heritage Festival at the Janadriyah town, 45 miles (72.4 km) away from the capital Riyadh, in which China, as that year's "guest of honor," exhibited more than 30 traditional arts and 600-plus exquisite articles, attracting a sea of local residents.

Three years later, an exhibition titled "The Arab Road" displaying Saudi Arab's cultural relics was held at the National Museum of China, with 466 pieces of treasures on show, among which were several "Made-in-China" ceramics, tokens of the once bustling ancient Silk Road.

In March, King Salman attended the opening ceremony of the Peking University Branch of the King Abdul-Aziz Public Library during his state visit to China. The following month, China displayed some of its intangible cultural heritage in Saudi Arabia.

"The next step for the two great civilizations is to organize a Chinese Cultural Week together in Riyadh and Jeddah to promote mutual understanding through more performances and exchange visits," the ambassador said.

He added that in a bid to facilitate some young people in Saudi Arabia to learn the Chinese language and culture, the China National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language is in talks with King Saud University about offering Chinese language classes. The university is the largest in the country.

Li says the first team of Chinese teachers will soon come to Saudi Arabia as cultural go-betweens.

"Because top leaders from both sides value bilateral ties and we are facing significant historical opportunities for development, bilateral cooperation will only go further," Li said, adding "both peoples will benefit from this progress."

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-08/23/c_136548057.htm

China, Saudi Arabia agree to build energy cooperation mechanisms
Xinhua | Updated: 2017-08-25 14:20

JEDDAH - China and Saudi Arabia agreed on Thursday to set up a package of bilateral energy cooperation mechanisms.

The agreement was reached when Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Saudi Red Sea resort of Jeddah during Zhang's visit to the Gulf Arab country.

Also during the talks, the two compared notes and reached broad consensus on bilateral cooperation in the fields of energy, finance and industrial capacity, among others.

They vowed to push forward a sea water desalination project using high temperature gas-cooled reactors, as well as a Chinese industry park in Saudi Arabia's southern border region of Jizan, and support the construction of a power plant in the western Saudi coastal town of Rabigh.

The two sides also agreed to promote cooperation over petrochemical projects and security matters, and enhance international coordination so as to further boost their bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.

Also on Thursday, Zhang and Mohammed co-chaired the second meeting of a high-level steering committee, a regular meeting mechanism set up during Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the Gulf Arab country last year.

The two co-hosted the first meeting of the committee in Beijing last August.

At the second meeting, the two sides agreed that the two countries have maintained close high-level exchanges, noting that Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud visited China while a number of Chinese leaders have visited Saudi Arabia.

They also agreed that the two countries have made smooth progress in key projects, and signed 30 major projects over industrial capacity and investment cooperation.

Two-way trade has developed soundly with Saudi Arabia being China's largest trading partner in the region of West Asia and North Africa over the past 15 years.

Both sides pledged to strengthen coordination and communication on such multilateral platforms as the UN and the Group of 20 gatherings on major issues that concern the world system and order as well as the rights and interests of developing countries in a bid to cement strategic trust.

Beijing and Riyadh also vowed to further synergize their development strategies, and promote practical cooperation and cultural and people-to-people exchanges for shared benefits and win-win results.

They were also committed to stronger cooperation and exchanges in the fields of culture, education, health, technology, tourism and journalism.

After the meeting, the two sides signed the minutes of the meeting, and the two leaders witnessed the signing of a host of cooperation agreements involving investment, trade, energy, postal service, communications and media.

Earlier in the day, the Chinese vice-premier met with King Salman.

Saudi Arabia is the second leg of Zhang's four-nation tour which has already taken him to Kuwait. He will also travel to Sudan and Namibia.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2017-08/25/content_31099957.htm

Wonderful news.

Over 250 deals signed at China-Arab States Expo
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 14:28:25|Editor: Yang Yi


YINCHUAN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- A total of 253 deals worth about 186.05 billion yuan (around 28 billion U.S. dollars) had been signed so far at the third China-Arab States Expo in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

The agreements involve agriculture and food processing, new materials, equipment manufacturing, bio-pharmaceuticals, chemical industry, textiles, industrial park construction and modern services.

The new cooperation is expected to forge closer ties between China and Arab states, and add momentum to the Belt and Road Initiative.

The expo, which kicked off Wednesday in Ningxia's capital Yinchuan and will run until Saturday, is sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the regional government of Ningxia.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/08/c_136594315.htm

Economic Watch: China-Arab industrial cooperation gathers steam
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 13:38:03|Editor: Yang Yi



YINCHUAN, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Yahya Jabri, chairman of a China-Oman industrial park, is briefing investors on Oman's sound business environment at a trade and investment expo in northwest China.

"As a WTO member, we have rolled out a string of favorable policies for investment. Besides oil, we enjoy an advantageous location, a good deepwater port, and complete ship-repairing facility," Jabri says. "Goods transported via Duqm will reach 22 million tonnes in the next decade ... The country will be the gate of North Africa." Oman welcomes more Chinese entrepreneurs to set up joint ventures or solely foreign-owned businesses, he says.

Although still under construction, Jabri's industrial zone is expected to be an exemplary project in China-Arab industrial cooperation. With the foundation stone laid in April, it is designed to develop into a logistics center, commercial harbor and tourist site for the Arabian Sea, covering an area of nearly 1,200 hectares in coastal Duqm.

Investment agreements worth 3.8 billion U.S. dollars were signed between companies of the two sides.

"Total capital poured in will amount to 11 billion dollars in 10 years, and 12,000 jobs will be created for local people," Jabri says.

From the Gulf of Suez in Egypt to Jazan of Saudi Arabia, similar projects were sprouting in Arab countries. After years of stable trade in crude and other goods, the two sides have moved to channel more energy into capacity and technology transfers to forge closer economic ties and reap bigger mutual benefits.

"With huge market potential and unique natural resources, Arab economies are complementary to China," says Chen Zhou, vice president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. "The new cooperation not only allows China to give full play to its competitive industries but helps Arab countries improve infrastructure and build a more sophisticated economic structure."

Abdulrahman al-Saleh, adviser to the Minister of Housing of Saudi Arabia, said he backed such cooperation as it met the needs of the country to transform the economy. Saudi Arabia released an ambitious plan last year to wean off reliance on oil, and to develop education, the arms industry, real estate and tourism.

At the ongoing China-Arab States Expo held in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 22 contracts on industrial capacity cooperation were signed to pour 17.1 billion yuan (more than 2.5 billion U.S. dollars) into projects ranging from infrastructure to textile and food processing in countries including Oman, United Arab Emirates and Iraq.

Besides traditional projects on energy and resources, Chinese and Arab businesses have started to explore more sectors, such as chemical industry, telecommunication and manufacturing, says Li Shaotong, an official of the Ministry of Commerce.

The global drive of China's high tech sectors, including equipment manufacturing and clean energy, is promising, Chen says.

Driven by robust industrial cooperation, China-Arab investment is surging. A total of 1.1 billion U.S. dollars of non-financial direct investment was made by Chinese companies in Arab states in 2016, up 74.9 percent year on year.

China has signed agreements on industrial capacity cooperation with 37 countries around the world, including Arab countries, says Liu Xia, an official of the National Development and Reform Commission.

By the end of 2016, two Chinese policy banks had issued loans worth 110 billion U.S. dollars for overseas corporate investment along the Belt and Road, and Chinese banks had set up 62 branches in 26 countries.

Running until Saturday, the four-day biennial expo is a significant platform for China and Arab countries to bolster ties.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/08/c_136594176.htm

Economic Watch: China-Arab economic ties get B&R boost
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 01:18:37|Editor: Liu



YINCHUAN, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- According to Abdulrahman Al-Basri, very few Chinese companies worked on contract in Saudi Arabia 10 years ago. Today, Chinese workers are everywhere.

From skyscrapers to oil rigs, Chinese companies in Saudi Arabia work swiftly and cost-effectively.

"We would welcome more engineering companies from China, as well as IT and others," Al-Basri, vice president of SABIC, a Riyadh-based chemical company, said Wednesday at the business session of the ongoing China-Arab States Expo in northwest China.

The corporate executive is far from the only one encouraged by closer China-Arab ties at the gathering in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Running till Saturday, the four-day expo has assembled executives from over 1,000 companies and nearly 5,000 exhibitors from 31 industries ranging from transportation to big data, along with government representatives and academics. The event has been held three times since 2013, the year the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed.

Economic ties between the two sides were steady, but the Belt and Road Initiative shifted cooperation into another gear.

The expo is important to expanding cooperation, Kamal Hassan Ali, assistant secretary general for economic affairs of the Arab League, told the opening gathering.

A total of 321 deals in science and technology, finance, energy, agriculture, health, tourism, culture and education were made during previous events, with total contract worth tens of billions of U.S. dollars.

China-Arab trade reached 171 billion U.S. dollars in 2016, and agreements on projects worth 40 billion dollars were signed between the two sides, up 40.8 percent from 2015. China's non-financial direct investment in Arab countries surged 74.9 percent.

At the junction of the Belt and Road that spans across Eurasia, Arab countries are eager to revitalize ancient trade routes, Egyptian Trade and Industry Minister Tarek Kabil said.

Six Arab states signed agreements with China on the Belt and Road and seven are founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Joint infrastructure projects were worth 46 billion U.S. dollars last year.

"The Belt and Road has created new opportunities and offers a better business environment for both Chinese and Arab companies," said Ding Hongxiang, vice president of China National Machinery Industry Corporation (Sinomach), a Fortune 500 company.

Entering Arab markets more than 30 years ago, Sinomach has a solid presence there, with infrastructure projects ranging from power plants to schools and hospitals. Projects valued at 3.8 billion U.S. dollars are still in progress.

Chinese firms have channeled investment and production capacity that is badly needed for the industrialization of Middle East, Kabil said.

"We hope to attract Chinese businesses to build industrial parks... to help the development of textile, furniture, electronics and chemical industries," Kabil said, promising favorable measures including tax breaks and shortened approval procedures.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/07/c_136589764.htm

Xi sends letter of congratulations to China-Arab States Expo
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-06 14:27:15|Editor: Yang Yi



YINCHUAN, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a letter of congratulations to the China-Arab States Expo, which opened Wednesday in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Noting that China and the Arab states are "good friends," Xi said the two sides had become important partners in the construction of the Belt and Road.

He also hailed the ever broader cooperation and achievements between the two sides.

Xi said the Arab world actively responded to and widely supported his proposal that the Belt and Road should be built as a road of peace, prosperity, opening up as well as innovation, and one that connects different civilizations, during the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which was held in Beijing this May.

The expo is an important platform for China and Arab countries to expand cooperation, he said.

During the construction of the Belt and Road, China is willing to promote shared opportunities with other countries, including the Arab states, and jointly promote peace with them, Xi added.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/06/c_136588545.htm


Why China sets an example for Saudi’s MSCI inclusion
China’s inclusion in MSCI’s main indices can provide lessons for Saudi Arabia

Finance

Investors across the Middle East are trying to figure out how many billions of dollars will flow to Saudi Arabia’s traded companies if it is eventually included in the MSCI Emerging Markets index, following MSCI’s recent move to add the kingdom to its watch list for a potential upgrade in 2018.

Earlier this year, Arqaam Capital estimated inflows of approximately $10.6bn into the Saudi market as a result of MSCI inclusion. Globally, more than $1.5 trillion in assets are benchmarked by money managers to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index family.

A good direction to look for indicative results is further east. MSCI’s decision to include mainland China shares in its main indices in the same review earlier this year is a minor tremor in the global investment landscape, but bigger seismic activity could come later.

Chinese domestic equities – A shares – will account for just over 0.7 per cent of the MSCI Emerging Market stock index when they enter the benchmark in the middle of next year.

In the near term, that doesn’t add up to a dramatic shift in global equity portfolios. But over the long run, it could be that the decision proves as transformative for the international capital markets as China’s 2011 inclusion in the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

In endorsing Beijing’s efforts to open up China’s securities to foreign investors, the MSCI could facilitate the country’s climb to the top tier of global financial markets in a number of ways.

For one thing, market reforms in the world’s second largest economy can now be expected to gather pace. The recent launch of a direct trading link between Shenzhen and Hong Kong exchanges and a reduction in trading suspensions are the beginning of what we believe will be a much deeper financial and regulatory overhaul.

What’s more, the emergence of an open and efficient stock market could help put the Chinese economy on a more sustainable footing by encouraging domestic firms to use equity as a source of finance rather than debt. As things stand, corporate borrowing amounts to an eye-watering 156 per cent of GDP in China. This ought to give international investors even greater confidence in Chinese securities.

In Saudi Arabia, a similar story is unfolding. The government is already undertaking dramatic privatisation efforts to wean the Kingdom off oil, spearheaded by the Saudi Vision 2030 economic plan, and characterised by the upcoming listing of Saudi Aramco – expected to be the world’s largest IPO.

Inclusion of the kingdom’s stock exchange – the Tadawal – to the MSCI would further improve financial regulatory standards and give international investors greater confidence in Saudi securities.

Saudi Arabia is already making quick progress. In September 2016, a new version of rules supporting an increase in Qualified Foreign investors was implemented. This was followed by a series of progressive new legislation in 2017 including spinning off the central securities depositary to a new independent wholly owned subsidiary, and launching a public consultation on the proposed new market operating model.

There are, of course, no guarantees when it comes to reform.

China’s change programme is ambitious yet complex and unlikely to progress smoothly. Currently, around two thirds of Chinese listed companies are part owned by the state in some shape or form, while governance standards do not compare favourably with those of developed economies.

Similarly in Saudi Arabia, such a ‘promotion’ would require the government to further relax its control on the market and significantly improve governance levels. This move may be tricky since many of the country’s largest companies, and particularly Saudi Aramco, are closely integrated with the state.

It would, however, boost Saudi Arabia’s global economic stature, placing it in good stead to achieve its Vision 2030. It may even attract investor interest to markets across the Middle East and North Africa ahead of the planned share sale of Saudi Aramco.

James Kenney is senior investment manager at Pictet Asset Management

http://gulfbusiness.com/china-sets-example-saudis-msci-inclusion/

Saudi, Chinese firms bag contract for final phase of Dubai solar park

Visitors look at screens displaying images of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Solar Park on March 20, 2017, at the solar plant in Dubai. (AFP)

AFP, Dubai Saturday, 16 September 2017

Dubai on Saturday announced the award of a $3.8-billion contract for the final phase of a solar park aimed at generating 5,000 megawatts of electricity by 2030.

The local government said the contract for the fourth and final phase went to Chinese conglomerate Shanghai Electric and ACWA Powerof Saudi Arabia.

The solar park named after Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al-Maktoum, went online in 2013 and the final phase is to be launched in stages from 2020, bringing the overall cost to $13.6 billion.

Dubai, which has dwindling oil reserves unlike Abu Dhabi, a fellow member of the United Arab Emirates, has set a target of 2050 to produce 75 percent of its electricity needs from renewable energy sources.

Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, is building four nuclear power plants, each with a 1,400-megawatt capacity, the first of which is scheduled to launch operations in 2018. The overall costs are put at more than $25 billion.

The UAE has announced it plans to invest a total of $163 billion in projects aimed at supplying the country with almost half of its energy needs from renewable sources.

Last Update: Saturday, 16 September 2017 KSA 17:45 - GMT 14:45

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/bu...-contract-for-final-phase-of-solar-park-.html

Saudi and Chinese businesses join forces on Egyptian solar projects
Anmar Frangoul
Published 7:07 AM ET Wed, 17 Jan 2018 CNBC.com


Kazzaz Photography | Moment | Getty Images
Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power has awarded an engineering, procurement and construction contract to China's Chint Group for three solar photovoltaic power plants in southern Egypt.

ACWA Power, which develops both power and water desalination projects, said that the total investment value of the projects was $190 million, and that they would have a total capacity of 165.5 megawatts. The contract for the deal was signed Tuesday at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.

ACWA Power President and CEO Paddy Padmanathan said the deal represented the company's first investment in Egypt.

The projects' construction will begin in the first quarter of 2018, with operations slated to commence in the fourth quarter. ACWA Power said that the facilities would power 80,000 homes and save 156,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually.

Chint Solar CEO Chuan Lu described Egypt as a "growing market where significant change is happening in the renewables industry."

China seems to be forging an ever-closer relationship with renewable energy in Egypt. Last September, for example, the Beijing-headquartered Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank announced as much as $210 million in debt financing in order to "tap" the renewable energy potential of the country.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/17/sau...s-join-forces-on-egyptian-solar-projects.html

 

[Saif al-Arab]

2018-01-14
Saudi Arabia-China ... Reasons for Rapprochement and Alliance Dimensions

From Dubai, Saif Al Abdullah

The Saudi-Chinese rapprochement over the past months has raised questions about why a communist country is cooperating with an American ally in the Middle East, the limits of this rapprochement and the possibility that Beijing will be a future ally of Riyadh instead of Washington .

The Conservation website cited in this context a report translated by Riyadh Post in which they affirmed that the last steps of rapprochement between the two countries, was the visit of Vice Premier Zhang Jaoly to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2017, where there was an agreement to establish a Chinese-Saudi investment fund worth 20 Billion US dollars, as well as discussions on nuclear energy projects and other economic agreements, amounting to nearly 70 billion dollars.

The report adds that China sees Saudi Arabia as a major source of energy. Saudi oil will be able to supply China's economic development for at least two decades as its economy grows rapidly.

It is also the best time for China to exploit opportunities in the Middle East, especially after years of Gulf tension, especially the Saudi American, whose impact remains despite Trump's efforts to close this chapter.

At the same time, oil producers and some neighboring countries to the Kingdom see that cooperation with China as very positive after years of anarchy in which a number of Middle Eastern countries have lost confidence in the United States. China's declaration of commitment to respect the sovereignty of all nations and its dedication to the “mutuality of benefit” is attractive for Saudi Arabia and the region in general.

On the other hand, the report notes that Saudi Arabia needs China as an expected alternative, at any time, to the United States and a future partner from whom Saudi can benefit.

About the dimensions of the Chinese interest in Saudi Arabia the rest of the Middle East, the report notes that China's soft power in the Middle East is based on the fact that it is not seen as dominant in the way America does. It is important that China does not start interfering in the internal affairs of Saudi Arabia or any other regional country in order to maintain such feature.

The report concludes that China's foreign participation, which is seldom military in nature, makes Beijing ahead of the United States and the West and is suitable for the Middle East countries to be the strong ally that everyone seeks to win its friendship.

http://riyadhpost.live/11896

Iraq reaches initial deal with China's Zhenhua to develop East Baghdad oilfield

Reuters Staff

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq has reached an initial deal with China’s state-run Zhenhua Oil to develop the southern portion of the East Baghdad oilfield, the oil ministry spokesman said on Sunday.

Iraq is seeking the help of Zhenhua Oil to increase production from East Baghdad oilfield to 40,000 barrels per day within five years as of the start of the development operations, Asim Jihad said in a statement.


Iraqi oil officials have estimated the East Baghdad field, a “super giant” with around 8 billion barrels of crude reserves, has the potential to produce 120,000 barrels of oil per day.

Under the initial deal with Zhenhua Oil, which will be announced in formal ceremonies to be held in Baghdad on Monday, the Chinese firm will commit to building an “oil residential complex”, the statement said.

Oil Ministry officials said increasing East Baghdad crude production would help feed nearby refineries and power stations and free up more oil for exports from the southern region.

Iraq produces and exports the bulk of its crude from the southern region.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...o-develop-east-baghdad-oilfield-idUSKBN1EI07F

@SALMAN F @TheCamelGuy

Old news but not posted anywhere.

Security agreement between Iraq and China

Date of release: 2017/7/26 19:36
[Ayna-Baghdad]
Iraq and China signed a security agreement on Wednesday.
“Interior Minister Qassem al-Araji received today a high-level delegation from the People’s Republic of China, during which the two sides discussed several issues, including the great victories achieved by the Iraqi armed forces against the terrorist and the secondary relationship between the two countries,” the Interior Ministry said.
The statement pointed to “the signing of a security agreement between the two sides in the presence of several security figures and related parties.”

http://www.alliraqnews.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=64237

 

[Saif al-Arab]

CNA Insider
Steel, soft power and 'fake' Islamic art: China's Belt and Road to the Middle East


The new season of The New Silk Road looks at China's extension of its master plan for trade and soft power influence, and how it's changing the face of the Arab world.

China’s revitalization of its ancient trade routes to the Middle East is energizing Chinese-Arab trade connections that hark back over 2,000 years. In this episode, we explore the enduring historical relationship and explore the motivations behind Beijing’s astonishing new trade initiatives.

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...t-and-road-middle-east-arab-silk-road-9843788

CHINA: It is where Arabic leaders go if they want to do business in China, and where the Chinese go as well, if they want to do business in the Middle East.

Billions of dollars of Arab-Chinese investment flow through the Ningxia region, the first stop along the New Silk Road connecting China to the Middle East.

Its Islamic heritage is what has earned Ningxia, in northwest China, that honour. It has more than 400 mosques, and its state-run Islamic schools have produced some 7,000 imams.

It is home to the highest concentration of the 11 million Hui people in China, who are the largest group of Muslims in the country and the second largest of China’s 55 officially recognised ethnic minorities.



image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==

Chinese Hui Muslim students during an exercise session. (Photo: AFP)



They are descendants of Arab and Persian merchants who travelled to China in the seventh century, married local Chinese women and planted the roots of Islam in the heart of the country.


Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...t-and-road-middle-east-arab-silk-road-9843788

Their numbers in Ningxia – they form about one-third of its population – have made for extensive links to Muslim nations, whether through faith, food or finance.

Now, their close connection to the history of the old Silk Road has placed them at the heart of a rebalancing of global relations at work, one that may also reshape the Middle East and its important energy sector.



image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==

China’s revitalisation of its ancient trade routes to the Middle East is bringing oil refineries, mines, factories, shops and educational institutions to countries in that region, as part of the trillion-dollar Belt and Road trade initiative.

But more, it is also seeing China extend tendrils of soft power - from language and culture, to martial arts and romance - across the region, from Tehran to Islamabad. Season three of The Silk Road journeys into parts of China and the Arab world to explore the extent of that courtship. (Watch the series here.)

WOOING THE ARAB WORLD

In the first episode, this wooing of the Arab world begins in Ningxia - particularly during its China-Arab States Expo, attended by Middle Eastern heads of state, high-level Chinese government officials and hordes of businessmen and journalists.

The Arab states have no equivalent expo with the United States or Europe, which gives Chinese enterprises an unparalleled platform to reach out to the Middle East. Many deals are inked – and it has been a staggering amount.



image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==

Lucrative deals are struck at he China-Arab States Expo



In September, more than 250 deals worth at least RMB186 billion (S$38 billion) were signed with countries such as Jordan and Egypt, as more than 1,000 companies from 47 countries gathered to pitch partnerships and services.

Even before that, 876 contracts worth RMB436 billion in total had been inked in Ningxia since 2010.

For instance, at the recent expo, Egypt’s investment authority told the programme that the country hoped to attract “the biggest companies in power stations, in energy, in industry and in all infrastructure activities”.

China is building high-speed trains in Egypt – a hot favourite among other countries too – industrial parks and even a new administrative capital, as yet unnamed, to replace Cairo. These agreements are worth US$15 billion (S$20 billion).



image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==

Station under construction along the China-Pakistan rail link.



Arab businesses are also eager to enter the Chinese market. Lebanese businessman Elie Kazzi, the export manager of Al Kazzi Nuts, said:

If one per cent of the Chinese people will eat our nuts, we won’t be able to sell anywhere else.

“They’ll take all our production capacity, and we’ll be growing for sure.”

IMPACT ON REGIONAL STABILITY?

It's not just good for businesses. In theory, the Belt and Road investments could even contribute to stability in the Middle East, political analyst Einar Tangen noted.

If you look at the list of countries that have signed on to Belt and Road, many of them are hard-core enemies. You have Iran and Saudi Arabia, and Israel and Palestine.

He cited China’s moves to secure its energy security through investments in oil companies in both Saudi Arabia and Iran in particular, which he described as “unusual, given that they’re supposedly implacable enemies”.

He added: “China is trying to stabilise the situation by having a foot in every camp and not … playing politics but simply trade. If they stay on the trade links, they have some hope of dealing with it.”



image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the latter's Middle East tour in 2016 aimed at boosting economic ties.



Chinese academic Li Goufu agrees. But the director of the Centre for Middle East Studies at the China Institute of International Studies noted that regional stability will also take time.

He said: “What China is going to do is … to help economic development and, in this way, to provide hope for the young people.

When people have hopes (and) jobs, they believe that they can have a decent life. That kind of belief or hope will keep them from radicalism.


image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==

CHINA’S LITTLE ARAB: WORLD'S LARGEST SMALL-GOODS MARKET

Within China, the New Silk Road is not only about big business, governments and the energy sector - it is also about the little guys: The traders, merchants and manufacturers.

And thousands of them from the Arab world, and elsewhere, also travel to another part of the country that has earned a reputation as the Little Arab of China: Yiwu, along the southern coast in Zhejiang province.

The Yiwu International Trade City, the world’s largest small commodities market, is where many $1 shops round the world get their products, from soft toys to balloons to imitation jewellery.

It has over 200,000 shops catering for an equal number of visitors daily. Its floor space is equivalent to more than 1,000 football fields, and it is said that it could take more than a year to check out all the shops.

WATCH: Explore the market (3:54)


Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...t-and-road-middle-east-arab-silk-road-9843788

Thousands of shopping agents bring clients here from the Middle East to source for goods, such as clothes, art, decoration and hardware.

Some Middle Eastern vendors even buy goods such as Islamic art from Yiwu and “pass them off as something made in those countries”, said shopping agent Su Xiaobing, adding with a shrug: “It happens.”

Explaining why Iranian buyers have turned to Yiwu for headscarves, for example, Iranian businessman Hamid Dehghani said: “We can’t produce this in Iran because the machinery and facilities aren’t there.

“And the second factor is that costs there – labour, overtime, et cetera – would be very high … It’s more cost-efficient in China.”



image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==

Wholesale Islamic art in Yiwu



In May 2014, the city exported US$77 million worth of small plastic decorations, US$44 million worth of plastic manufactured products and US$36 million of imitation jewellery. For the whole of 2016, it exported more than US$17 billion worth of products - more than the annual gross domestic product of countries like Laos and Brunei.

SILK ROAD OF LOVE

In the process of business, the sparks of romance have also been ignited.

Jordanian businessman Mohanad Ali Mohd Shalabi and wife Liu Fang, who run a restaurant – one of dozens of Middle Eastern restaurants set up in the city – are seeing more cross-cultural marriages like theirs.

Said Mdm Liu: “The New Silk Road has brought many youths from the Middle East to China, to Yiwu. They find they have a high happiness index here, so many of them are choosing Chinese wives.”



image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==

Some Arabs have settled and started businesses in Yiwu, even marrying local Chinese women.



According to Mr Tangen, these love stories have been going on “for a long time”.

It might be love, but it’s also very practical because now you have a web of connections and understanding. You have somebody whom you can trust, who can tell you what the situation is.

And with more mixed marriages and a growing Middle Eastern diaspora comes a new generation of Silk Road ambassadors.

These include the international students in local public schools. Yiwu Special Economic Zone Primary School head of curriculum Chen Hua Yen said: “When we first started taking in foreign students, there were only two or three students applying every year.

“Now, there are 11 foreign students enrolled in this year alone – eight are in Primary One.” To help them adjust, the school has a support programme with specialist teachers.


image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==

Chinese calligraphy class taught to foreigners in primary schools.



SOFT POWER, HARD CASH

Across China, thousands of scholarships have been offered to people from the Middle East and other Silk Road regions to study in Chinese universities; while Chinese-language institutes funded by Beijing have also sprouted in countries like Afghanistan, Iran and Lebanon, as part of China’s soft power push.

The New Silk Road programme explores these facets of soft power that come along with hard economic investments. Said Mr Tangen: “China is a world power, but it doesn’t necessarily have a lot of people who are very versed in this area and vice versa, from these other countries.

"China looms large on the headlines, but the details can be sometimes overlooked in terms of how many people speak Chinese.

They’re trying to pursue it in terms of people-to-people exchanges, education and things like that - but it’s a very aggressive kind of initiative.

The team of producers explores, for instance, the role of Confucius Institutes and martial arts like wushu in places like Tehran.



image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==

Young women in Iran learning wushu.



The episodes also take viewers across Pakistan, to discover the roads, railways, dams and pipelines that China has funded, to the tune of US$65 billion so far - the flagship project of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s One Belt, One Road policy.

Another strategic partner is Iran, with Beijing capitalising quickly on the lifting of sanctions against Iran. Both countries have agreed to increase bilateral trade to more than US$600 billion by 2026, and the programme looks at what the deal involves.

Also crucial to Beijing’s master plan is its transformation of the Suez Canal into a new economic zone and springboard for infiltrating the African market. The show’s producers investigate China’s strategic objectives in Egypt and the challenges involved.



image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==

Pakistan's Gwadar port, the crown jewel in a multi-billion dollar development project with China. (Photo: AFP)



The Belt and Road is a high-stakes game. Chinese companies may lose billions of dollars if investments go sour. But if successful, opportunities abound.

There are implications not only for those in the Middle East but also everywhere else who depend on the region for oil, whose lives are impacted by the refugee crisis and whose homes could be destroyed by radical Arab groups.


Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...t-and-road-middle-east-arab-silk-road-9843788

A very interesting article. The photos don't seem to display so click on the link instead.

Arab Parliament speaker to visit China
Source: Xinhua| 2018-01-19 19:11:29|Editor: Mengjie



BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Arab Parliament Speaker Meshal Faham M. Alsulami will lead a delegation to visit China from Jan. 21 to 24, at the invitation of Chinese top legislator Zhang Dejiang, the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress announced Friday.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-01/19/c_136908785.htm

 

[Saif al-Arab]

A powerful Saudi Arabian-Chinese partnership

February 8, 2018

The One Belt and One Road initiative and Saudi Vision 2030 will usher in a bright future.

HUAXIN Li Ambassador EMBASSY OF CHINA TO SAUDI ARABIA

Li Huaxin, China’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, talks to TOGY about diplomatic relations between the two countries, the strategic parallels between China’s One Belt, One Road initiative and Saudi’s Vision 2030.

On the China-GCC Free Trade Area: “The construction of the China-GCC Free Trade Area has great significance and will further enhance bilateral economic and trade relations. In recent years, with the joint efforts of both sides, the China-GCC Free Trade negotiations have made substantial progress.”

On collaboration: “With the construction of One Belt and One Road and the joint promotion of Saudi Vision 2030, the two sides will collaborate extensively in the fields of infrastructure, manufacturing, economy and commerce, and financial investment.”

Most TOGY interviews are published exclusively on our business intelligence platform TOGYiN, but you can find the full interview with Li Huaxin below.

How important are oil and non-oil trade for the two countries?

For a long time, crude oil trade has been the ballast of the China-Saudi economic and commercial relationship. The bilateral co-operation goes far beyond crude oil trade, however, and includes the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil and gas industry, nuclear energy, renewable energy and other low-carbon energies.
The Chinese side also looks forward to the Saudi Aramco IPO and the successful and energising realisation of Saudi Vision 2030. With the construction of One Belt and One Road and the joint promotion of Saudi Vision 2030, the two sides will collaborate extensively in the fields of infrastructure, manufacturing, economy and commerce, and financial investment.

What is the state of progress for the China-GCC Free Trade Area?

The construction of the China-GCC Free Trade Area has great significance and will further enhance bilateral economic and trade relations. In recent years, with the joint efforts of both sides, the China-GCC Free Trade negotiations have made substantial progress.
China hopes to intensify negotiations with the GCC. The earlier the completion of the China-GCC Free Trade Area, the earlier the benefit for both countries.

How strong are diplomatic relations between China and Saudi Arabia?

Since the establishment of the China-Saudi Arabia diplomatic relationship nearly 30 years ago, the bilateral relationship has achieved great progress. In January 2016, President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia and promoted the bilateral relationship to comprehensive strategic partnership level. During the visit, the two leaders of China and Saudi Arabia unanimously decided to establish the Bilateral High-level Joint Committee.
At the end of August 2016, [then] Deputy Crown Prince His Royal Highness Mohammad bin Salman visited China and successfully held the first meeting of the committee. This greatly helped to promote co-operation in various fields and achieved fruitful results.
In March 2017, His Majesty King Salman visited China. During his visit, the two countries signed a series of agreements worth USD 65 billion. Under the joint effort of the leaders of our two countries, the strategic relationship between China and Saudi Arabia has been continuously improved. New achievements have been made in political, diplomatic, economic and commercial fields.

How ready and willing is Saudi Arabia to participate and aid in China’s One Belt, One Road project?

One Belt and One Road is the road to peace, the road to prosperity, the road of openness, the road to innovation and the road of civilisation, which should be jointly built through consultation to meet the interests of all.
Saudi Arabia is an important country alongside the One Belt and One Road. The construction of the One Belt and One Road initiative alongside Saudi Vision 2030 will create a huge opportunity for co-operation.
In May 2017; His Excellency Eng. Khalid Al Falih, minister of energy, industry and mineral resources; His Excellency Mohammed Al Jadaan, minister of finance; His Excellency Eng. Abdullah Al Sawahah, minister of communications and information technology; and His Excellency Yasir Al Rumayyan, managing director of PIF from Saudi Arabia, attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Co-operation held in Beijing. The One Belt and One Road initiative and Saudi Vision 2030 will usher in a bright future.

What do you hope to see for the future of Chinese-Saudi relations?

I have served as ambassador to Saudi Arabia for more than a year and have witnessed the continuous improvement of China-Saudi relations. I am confident in the prospect of further co-operation between our two countries.
I will make every effort to push forward for more extensive co-operation in the fields of politics, economy, trade, investment, energy, science and technology, and the humanities. This will help deepen the friendship between China and Saudi Arabia and provide a larger contribution to the people of our two countries.

http://www.theoilandgasyear.com/articles/a-powerful-saudi-chinese-partnership/

Related post in a previous thread giving an idea of Saudi Arabian-Chinese ties in the modern era.

Saudi Arabia publicly displayed its Dong Feng-3 (DF-3) ballistic missiles for the first time in a 29 April 2014 on a parade that marked the end of the largest ever military exercise held in the kingdom. The military exercise and official display of the ballistic missiles, which were acquired secretly from China in 1987 were clear signals Riyadh is directing to both Washington and Tehran. Riyadh acquired the missiles from China during the height of the 'city war' phase of the Iran-Iraq, after Washington refused selling short range ballistic missiles to the kingdom.
​

The Secrets of the Sands, Saudi Arabia’s undisclosed missile site - Robert Munks, Deputy Editor, IHS Jane’s Intelligence Review, IHS Aerospace, Defence & Security.
​

I wonder if people can connect the dots here given recent developments. The inauguration of local uranium excavation (WITH DIRECT CHINESE ASSISTANCE) says hello as well as the future 20 + nuclear power plants before 2030, or at the latest 2040 (expected completion of all 20 + nuclear power plants).

 

[Saif al-Arab]

PHOTOS: Saudi Arabia, China successfully launch space mission to the moon

The joint mission came following Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to China in May 2017 where a memorandum of understanding was signed between both countries. (SPA)

SPA, Riyadh
Friday, 15 June 2018

Saudi Arabia, represented by the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), has achieved new heights in the region and in the Islamic world by succeeding in taking satellite images using Saudi systems for exploration and surveillance of the moon as part of a joint space mission with China.

On Sunday, May 20th, efforts in this regard by both countries resulted in the launch of the space mission, Zhang E4, from the city of Xichang to reach the moon.

The joint mission came following Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to China in May 2017 where a memorandum of understanding was signed between both countries. It also comes in accordance with the culture of research, development and innovation at KACST, emanating the kingdom’s Vision 2030.

Three satellites were launched as part of the space mission to orbit the moon and carry out several experiments and research. The goal was to place one of the satellites in orbit beyond ‘Lagrange Point L2’ to form a communication network with Earth. The dark side of the moon does not face Earth, making it difficult to communicate except if a satellite existed there.

A series of photos were taken, the first on the fifth of June from a height of 1598 kilometers from the surface of the moon. The picture of the earth and the moon was taken together using the Saudi remote sensing system ‘Lunang Giang’ fixed on the satellite, where the globe was filmed in addition to several craters from the moon’s surface.

The President of KACST Prince Turki bin Saud bin Mohammed stressed the importance of the Saudi institution’s participation in this major international event, which will support its efforts in developing satellite technologies and use them in various fields, like remote sensing and space communications.

He added that on this mission, they are working on collecting more data from the surface of the moon.

Last Update: Friday, 15 June 2018 KSA 08:14 - GMT 05:14

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/bu...ssfully-launch-space-mission-to-the-moon.html

Great news and another sign of the close and constantly improving Saudi Arabia (Arab) and China (Chinese) ties.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1007400255594418176

https://twitter.com/x/status/1007451416812666880

https://twitter.com/x/status/1007658507104149504

https://twitter.com/x/status/1007464560717127680

https://twitter.com/x/status/1007717228840718336

Arab-Chinese digital library to be launched in Beijing

King Abdul Aziz Public Library

ARAB NEWS
July 08, 2018

• The library will strengthen the growing political and economic ties between the Arab world and China
• The digital library project would prove to be a model for cultural partnership between different cultures and civilizations

JEDDAH: The first Arab-Chinese digital library will be launched on Tuesday in Beijing on the sidelines of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF).
The library is a joint project of the Arab League, the King Abdul Aziz Public Library and the National Library of China.
The library will serve as a bridge between the Arab world and China and help promote cultural ties and exchange of knowledge.
The project also aims to strengthen ties and coordination between libraries in the Arab League member states and China.
The library will strengthen the growing political and economic ties between the Arab world and China.
The supervisor general of King Abdul Aziz Library, Abdul Karim Al-Zaid, said the establishment of the digital library will lay the foundations of a new beginning of intellectual, cultural and economic ties with China.

“We aim to translate the cultural and knowledge vision, which is the basis of King Abdul Aziz Public Library, through the promotion of culture, preservation of heritage, knowledge formation, cultural contact, social responsibility and global partnerships,” Al-Zaid said.
He said the opening of a branch of King Abdul Aziz Library in Beijing was aimed to increase cultural cooperation between the two countries.
The director of the digital library project, Saleh Al-Misnad, noted the library’s inauguration would be an active start for Arab and Chinese cultures in a modern and attractive way.
He said the library aims to strengthen the foundations of the knowledge and cultural partnership; it offers different kinds of knowledge and transfers the Arab intellectual heritage to the whole world from the launching of the Arab Knowledge Index to this project.
He said the digital library project would prove to be a model for cultural partnership between different cultures and civilizations.
The CASCF was initiated in the opening years of the new millennium, according to Xinhua. In 2004, China and the Arab League (AL) formally launched the forum.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1335516/saudi-arabia

 

[Saif al-Arab]

New China TV
7 July 2018

The eighth ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum will be convened Tuesday in Beijing. How close is the relationship between China and Arab states?

How close is relationship between China and Arab states?

We are really proud of our ties with China: Arab League official

China Arab States Cooperation Forum to open next week

Xi Jinping to address China-Arab States Cooperation Forum

China and Arab states draw up a blueprint for cooperation in the new era

Eighth ministerial meeting of the cooperation forum will focus on Belt and Road Initiative and development in other areas of mutual interest

Image Credit: Niño Jose Heredia/©Gulf News



Published: 17:38 July 8, 2018
Wang Yi,State Councillor and 
Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China

The eighth ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF) will be held in Beijing tomorrow. It will be attended by Kuwait Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, representatives from the other 21 Arab countries, and the secretary-general of the Arab League, and Chinese President Xi Jinping will address the opening ceremony. This meeting will be another important event in China-Arab relations following President Xi’s participation in the sixth CASCF ministerial meeting in 2014 and his visits to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Arab League headquarters in 2016. At the meeting, China and Arab states are expected to have in-depth discussions on how to jointly advance the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and strengthen overall cooperation with a view to drawing up a blueprint for China-Arab relations in the new era.

China and Arab countries share a long history of exemplary interactions. The past 2,000 years have witnessed uninterrupted exchanges between the Chinese and Arab peoples through land and sea links, which facilitated mutual learning between two great civilisations. Since the mid-20th century, we have supported each other in our respective struggles for national independence and development, writing a new chapter of friendship and cooperation. The inception of the CASCF in 2004 has further upgraded China-Arab relations, by adding a new driver in addition to the bilateral channels, and has thus accelerated the growth of China-Arab cooperation across the board.

As President Xi aptly puts it, China and Arab countries, who are natural partners in Belt and Road cooperation, need to follow the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit, and seek greater synergy in our respective pursuits of national renewal. The visionary guidance and commitment coming from our leaders have lent a fresh impetus to relations.

The last four years have seen multiple highlights in the fruitful exchanges and cooperation between China and Arab states, with a special focus on Belt and Road cooperation.

Over the past four years, we have maintained frequent high-level exchanges, including President Xi’s successful visits to the Middle East and the visits to China by the heads of state of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Palestine. Such exchanges have contributed to deepening political trust and kept bilateral ties running at a high level. China has established or upgraded its strategic relations with 11 Arab countries. It has supported Arab countries in exploring their own paths of development, and Palestine in restoring the lawful rights of its people. Arab countries, on their part, have given China valuable support on issues concerning its core and major interests.

The scope of our results-oriented business cooperation and people-to-people exchanges has kept growing to cover a wide range of areas, including satellite launch and cotton production. The CASCF institution building has made significant progress. The effective operation of over ten mechanisms, including the ministerial meeting, the senior officials’ meeting, the entrepreneurs conference, and the energy cooperation conference, has fuelled our Belt and Road cooperation in various respects.

Over the past four years, we have worked in concert to cement the “1+2+3” cooperation framework featuring one focus (energy cooperation), two priority areas (infrastructure and trade and investment facilitation), and three high-tech sectors for breakthroughs (nuclear energy, aviation satellite and new energy). Sustained efforts have been made to advance the “four action plans”, namely cooperation in four major fields of promoting stability, identifying new forms of cooperation, conducting production capacity cooperation, and deepening friendship.

Our pursuit of greater complementarity between development strategies has resulted in new progress in China-Arab cooperation. China has signed Belt and Road cooperation MOUs with nine Arab states and production capacity cooperation agreements with five Arab states. Both the Silk Road Fund and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank have invested in Arab countries. In 2017, China-Arab trade approached $200 billion (Dh734 billion), up by 11.9 per cent year-on-year, and direct Chinese investment in Arab countries reached $1.26 billion, an increase of 9.3 per cent.

Over the past four years, we have added new dimensions to our cooperation in the traditional areas of energy, infrastructure and trade. The Hassyan clean coal power plant in Dubai, equipped with the world-leading ultra-supercritical technology, and the Attarat power plant in Jordan, a dream come true of oil shale power generation, have taken China-Arab power cooperation to a new level. Several large infrastructure projects are well underway, including Phase II of the Khalifa Port in the UAE and the train project in the 10th of Ramadan City of Egypt. They are expected to make the development of Arab countries better connected. Moreover, the cluster effect of the China-Egypt Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone is being felt. Our cooperation has continued to upgrade and deepen through innovation. We have inaugurated a Technology Transfer Centre, and held a successful Beidou Cooperation Forum. China has helped Algeria put its first communications satellite into orbit, setting an example for such cooperation between China and Arab states. The China-Arab States Research Centre on Reform and Development and the China-Arab States Forum on Reform and Development, two platforms for experience sharing in governance, reform and development, have been warmly received by Arab countries.

Over the past four years, we have added more substances to our mutually beneficial cooperation in home-grown development, social progress and personnel exchanges, delivering tangible benefits to our peoples. China has drawn up plans to provide assistance to Palestine and humanitarian assistance to Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Libya and Yemen, as was announced by President Xi. It has trained over 6,000 people of different professions for Arab countries.

National rejuvenation

While encouraging competitive production capacity to go global, China has helped Arab countries build up capacity for home-grown development in light of their need for economic diversification in the Middle East. In this process, China has paid special attention to helping Arab countries improve their people’s lives, which is essential for the local economy. For instance, a Chinese enterprise opened China’s first overseas fibreglass production base in the Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, creating over 2,000 local jobs and making Egypt the largest fibreglass producer in Africa and third largest producer in the world.

Arab countries, for their part, have facilitated visits of Chinese nationals to the region. Today, nine Arab countries give visa-free or visa-upon-landing treatment to Chinese nationals, and 150 passenger flights and 45 cargo flights are run between China and Arab countries every week. As a result, the number of Chinese tourist arrivals in the region is soaring year by year. In the opposite direction, Arabian specialities of premium quality, including long-staple cotton from Egypt, olive oil from Tunisia, chocolate from Lebanon and dates from the Gulf Arab countries, have entered Chinese households with the help of e-commerce platforms.

The world today is at a critical juncture of major development, transformation and adjustment. China is making big strides in its new journey toward the two centenary goals and showing a stronger commitment to deepening reform on all fronts and opening wider to the world. Likewise, Arab countries have unveiled major initiatives of future-oriented reforms for national rejuvenation. Our development visions are getting more aligned and more complementary, placing China-Arab relations at a new starting point. Under the changing circumstances, we need to work together for a new type of international relations, for a community with a shared future for mankind, and for a peaceful external environment and an equitable world order conducive our national rejuvenation.

At the forthcoming eighth ministerial meeting, China and Arab countries will follow the guidance of our leaders, explore ways to advance future-oriented cooperation centred around the BRI, and further upgrade China-Arab relations.

China and Arab countries will become partners in promoting peace and stability. We need to strengthen coordination, continue to support each other on issues of major interests and core concerns, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries. We should promote political settlement of hotspot issues and uphold common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security as we strive to restore peace and tranquillity to the Middle East at an early date and do our share in bringing about a world of prosperity and stability.

China and Arab countries will become partners in pursuing reform, development and shared prosperity. We need to support each other in exploring development paths tailored to national conditions. We can achieve common progress and development by tapping into complementarity of our respective strengths and needs, by seeking synergy of our development strategies at a faster pace, and by increasing experience sharing on governance. In our pursuit of development, we must stay committed to a people-centred approach and deliver more benefits to our peoples.

China and Arab countries will become partners in conducting practical cooperation for win-win outcomes. We need to follow the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, as we broaden cooperation in infrastructure, aviation satellite and energy and carry out key projects such as ports and industrial parks. China looks forward to signing with more Arab countries the MOU on Belt and Road cooperation to take our practical cooperation to a higher level. China and Arab countries will become partners in championing cultural exchanges and mutual learning. We will encourage more people-to-people exchanges and deepen cooperation in science, education, culture, health and information. By building more bridges for interactions, we will enhance mutual understanding and friendship between our peoples and contribute to the progress of human civilisation.

A new blueprint brings new hope. A new beginning heralds new achievements. I am convinced that the giant ship of China-Arab friendship and cooperation will ride the wave toward a bright future.

https://gulfnews.com/opinion/thinke...rint-for-cooperation-in-the-new-era-1.2248287

Great image by Gulf News.

What to expect from the eighth ministerial meeting of China-Arab States Cooperation Forum?
POLITICS
By Li Deyi

2018-07-09 08:11 GMT+8

File photo of the Great Hall of the People /Xinhua Photo

Xi will elaborate on the Chinese side's view on strengthening the top-level design of Sino-Arab relations, mapping out collective cooperation, and instructing the construction of the CASCF, according to Assistant Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong.

During the opening ceremony, Xi will put forward new proposals on further cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) between China and Arab states.

Xi will also expound on the "China Solution" to the current issues concerning peace and development in the Middle East.

Chinese Foreign Ministry holds a briefing about the opening ceremony of the eighth ministerial meeting of CASCF, July 6, 2018. /MOFA Photo

What will be discussed?

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, foreign ministers and representatives from Arab countries, and the secretary general of the Arab League (AL) will attend the meeting.

The meeting will conduct comprehensive and in-depth discussions on areas such as consolidating the traditional friendship between China and Arab countries, and advancing the construction of the BRI.

Jointly promoting a new type of international relations and "a community of shared future for mankind," and other international and regional issues of common concern will also be discussed.

Arab League (AL) Assistant Secretary General Hossam Zaki speaks during an interview in Cairo, Egypt, July 5, 2018. /Xinhua Photo

The Palestinian issue is always on the table of the CASCF, AL Assistant Secretary General Hossam Zaki said in an interview, as the AL prepares for the meeting.

Zaki is focused on issues such as Arab-Sino trade cooperation and China's investment in Arab countries, hoping that China would help the Arab countries build their unfinished infrastructure and open its markets to more Arab products.

Expected outcomes

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.

Chinese Foreign Ministry holds a briefing on the opening ceremony of the eighth ministerial meeting of CASCF, July 6, 2018. /MOFA Photo

The documents will map out a clear blueprint of the joint construction of the BRI in the future, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

"We really are proud of our ties with China. We also appreciate China's stances that support the Arabs' rights and issues," Zaki said, noting that such stances make the Arabs enthusiastic about maintaining the highest level of cooperation with China.

Zaki added that the goals for the forum can be varied, but the principles are still the same.

File photo of Hossam Zaki /VCG Photo

"I believe the current mechanisms of the CASCF are quite appropriate to achieve our goals. We may improve these mechanisms if we have more ambitions to reach," Zaki said.

CASCF and BRI

The CASCF has held seven ministerial meetings since 2004. The BRI was first introduced to the forum at the sixth ministerial meeting in June 2014, and became the guiding ideology in promoting Sino-Arab relations in May 2016.

File Photo of the sixth ministerial conference of the CASCF /Xinhua Photo

The Silk Road is a common historical heritage for China and Arab nations. Co-construction of the "Belt and Road" is a historic opportunity for both sides to push forward common development and realize national rejuvenation.

The BRI is welcomed by all Arab countries because the initiative bears not only historical bonds, but also pragmatic cooperation, Abdullah Saleh Al-Saadi, Oman's Ambassador to China, said ahead of the seventh ministerial meeting of CASCF.

Wang Yi (R) meets with Nabil al-Arabi before the seventh ministerial conference of CASCF in Doha, capital of Qatar, May 11, 2016. /Xinhua Photo

All Arab countries hope to benefit from China's experience in its development and want to further strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with China, especially in advancing collaboration on the BRI, Nabil al-Arabi, who was the AL secretary general at the time, said on the eve of the seventh meeting.

The BRI, comprising the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was brought up by Xi Jinping in 2013, with the aim of building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road routes.

What makes CASCF successful?

"The CASCF is very important as it keeps the Arab countries and China in periodic contact," Zaki said.

China is always helping the Arab countries, Zaki added, stressing that China never sets political conditions for cooperating with Arab countries.

File Photo of the seventh ministerial conference of the CASCF /Xinhua Photo

Sino-Arab relations are based on equality and mutual benefit, according to al-Arabi.

Al-Arabi attributed the success of the forum to the strict implementation of the terms and conditions reached by both parties and continuous improvement of the forum's mechanisms.

(With input from Xinhua News Agency)

https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d514e7a596a4e78457a6333566d54/share_p.html

Wonderful news.

@Chinese-Dragon @ChineseTiger1986 @GeraltofRivia @wanglaokan @Shotgunner51 @long_ etc.

 

[帅的一匹]

saud is good buddy of China, lots of asepcts that we can cooperate.

 

[Saif al-Arab]

China, Arab states agree to enhance cooperation under new strategic partnership

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrive for a news conference at the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in Beijing on Tuesday. Reuters

ARAB NEWS
July 10, 2018

• The ministerial session reflects the two sides’ keenness to deepen Arab-Chinese ties
• Saudi Arabia has opened a branch of the King Abdul Aziz Public Library in Beijing to encourage exchanges between scholars

JEDDAH: The China-Arab States Cooperation Forum began its eighth ministerial meeting in Beijing on Tuesday to discuss ways to strengthen Arab-Chinese relations.
The Saudi delegation was led by Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir, who is chairman of the current session.
In a speech at the opening ceremony, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced his intention to hold an international conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and expressed his support for the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative.

China and Arab countries have agreed to establish a “future-oriented strategic partnership of comprehensive cooperation and common development,” Xi said.
Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said: “We believe that boosting mechanisms of cooperation between us will contribute to achieving the supreme interests of our Arab nation and our friends, and to enhancing historical relations between the two sides, which we are keen to develop and promote in all fields.”
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the ministerial session reflects the two sides’ keenness to deepen Arab-Chinese ties.
He urged China to continue its support for Arab issues, foremost among them the Palestinian cause.
On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, Al-Jubeir delivered a lecture to the Middle East Studies Association.
He said: “Saudi-Chinese relations have been deepened by both countries’ belief in key principles, notably respecting the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their affairs.”
“Saudi Arabia launched its Vision 2030 reform plan to bolster the economy by reducing dependence on oil, attracting investors, and improving the transparency and performance of government institutions,” he said.
Vision 2030 also aims to create a climate of tolerance and moderation, confront extremism, and enable Saudi women to be partners in moving the Kingdom forward, he added.
Saudi Arabia considers itself an essential partner in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which will have a great economic and social impact on the world, and will contribute to regional security and stability, Al-Jubeir said.
Riyadh is consulting with Beijing on cooperation regarding the BRI, and on encouraging the Middle East to play a key role in the project, he added.
Al-Jubeir pointed to both sides’ keenness to intensify scientific exchanges, as the Kingdom has sent students to China for education and to become bridges between the two countries.
There are hundreds of Saudi students in Chinese universities, and the Kingdom has opened a branch of the King Abdul Aziz Public Library in Beijing to encourage exchanges between scholars, researchers and students in both countries, he said.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1336746/saudi-arabia