The friendly exchanges between China and Arab countries have spanned thousands of years, and now they have written a new footnote. On the afternoon of December 9, 2022 local time, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the first China-Arab States Summit in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, and delivered a keynote speech. In the turbulent world situation, this historic event with an unprecedented scale at the right time is even more extraordinary. It is an extremely important milestone in the history of the development of Sino-Arab relations. At a time when the world structure and international order are being restructured, President Xi Jinping's visit will play an extremely important role in deepening China-Saudi Arabia strategic cooperation and building a "China-Arab community with a shared future."

Witness the extraordinary leap in China-Arab relations

"China and Arab countries have a long history of friendly exchanges. They knew each other on the ancient Silk Road, shared weal and woe in the struggle for national liberation, cooperated and achieved win-win results in the wave of economic globalization, and upheld morality in the ever-changing international situation. The friendly spirit of mutual learning' between China and Arab states." Xi Jinping said in his keynote speech at the summit.

Located at the intersection of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Arab countries are important participants in the Silk Road civilization in history and natural partners in the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. Since China and the League of Arab States launched the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in 2004, China and the Arab States have carried out multilateral cooperation in various forms and rich in content under the framework of the ministerial mechanism. Since the Belt and Road Initiative was put forward in 2013, the layout of the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative between China and the Arab states has been continuously improved. The new pattern of "1+2+3" cooperation with the breakthrough in the high-tech field has set up a new model of cross-regional "South-South cooperation" in the world.

At present, global peace and development are facing a severe situation. The outside world believes that the holding of the first China-Arab Summit is at the right time, reflecting the high level of bilateral relations.

The first China-Arab Summit is China's largest and highest-level diplomatic action towards the Arab world since the founding of the People's Republic of China. On the same day, Xi Jinping, leaders of 21 Arab League countries and heads of international organizations including the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States attended the summit.

The summit issued the "Riyadh Declaration of the First China-Arab Summit", announcing that China and the Arab states have agreed to make every effort to build a China-Arab community with a shared future for the new era. In his keynote speech, Xi Jinping pointed out that "as strategic partners, China and Arab states should inherit and carry forward the spirit of friendship between China and Arab states, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and build a closer China-Arab community with a shared future."

Zou Zhiqiang, a researcher at the Middle East Research Center of Fudan University, believes that joining hands to build a China-Arab community with a shared future for the new era sends an important signal, injects a strong new impetus into the friendship between the two sides, and witnesses the extraordinary leap in China-Arab relations.

The summit also created many "firsts": China and the Arab states held a summit for the first time on the basis of the ministerial-level China-Arab Cooperation Forum; Host multilateral diplomatic events.

The commentary pointed out that a series of important "firsts" will be recorded in the history of China-Arab relations, witnessing that China-Arab relations have reached a new level.

Planning an extraordinary cooperation between China and Arab states

The world is currently facing major changes unseen in a century. The new crown epidemic and the Ukraine crisis are intertwined and superimposed, and the world has entered a new round of turbulent change. Facing the complex international environment and changing geopolitical situation, China and Arab states have become more determined to develop friendly cooperation. Together, they have upgraded the China-Arab cooperation mechanism to a heads of state summit, which marks the comprehensive upgrade of the Sino-Arab strategic cooperative relationship.

In recent years, from energy security to people-to-people and cultural exchanges, from jointly fighting the epidemic to maintaining regional peace, China-Arab cooperation has continued to deepen and become solid. At this milestone summit, the “package” of cooperation outcomes between China and Arab states once again became the focus.

Xi Jinping pointed out at the summit that as the first step in building a China-Arab community with a shared future and implementing the Outline of China-Arab Comprehensive Cooperation Plan, in the next three to five years, China is willing to work with Afghanistan to support development, food security, health, health, Promote the "Eight Major Common Actions" in 8 areas including green innovation, energy security, dialogue among civilizations, youth development, security and stability.

Zou Zhiqiang said that the "eight major joint actions" have an overall and strategic height, which reflects the breadth and depth of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the Arab states, which is unprecedented, and is an important concern of the Arab countries. For example, jointly build a public health science and technology cooperation center and a vaccine innovation and research and development cooperation alliance, establish a China-Arab international research center on drought, desertification and land degradation, carry out energy technology research and development cooperation, and strengthen energy policy coordination.

In addition, China and Arab states have also reached consensus on promoting a just settlement of the Palestinian issue, realizing a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, and eradicating the root causes of terrorism, among other hotspot issues.

The signal released by the interaction between China and Arab countries has attracted great attention from the international media, and it has also touched the "sensitive nerves" of individual countries. Some voices say that China's strengthening of cooperation with Arab countries is intended to replace other countries and fill the so-called "vacuum" in the Middle East.

"China-Arab cooperation has never aimed to replace others, and has never tried to confront any party." Wang Jin, an associate professor at the Middle East Institute of Northwest University, said that the cooperation results reached at the summit will provide the world with a model of mutually beneficial cooperation .

Continuing to write an extraordinary new narrative of mutual learning among civilizations

Looking back at the history of the ancient Silk Road, as the two major arteries connecting Eastern and Western civilizations, the peaceful exchanges between the two great nations of China and Arab states traveled through time and space, and across mountains and seas, creating a historical story of mutual benefit and mutual learning between different civilizations.

Whether it is Chinese porcelain, papermaking, and printing all the way west, or Arabian astronomy, calendar, and medicine, the Chinese civilization and Arabic civilization with their own characteristics contain the common concept and pursuit of human progress.

In the view of analysts, in the face of the "clash of civilizations" theory emerging in the international community, the exchange and dialogue between the two major civilizations of China and Arab states has once again become the focus, and will continue to write an extraordinary new narrative of mutual learning between civilizations.

In his keynote speech, Xi Jinping pointed out that it is necessary to "set up a model of exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations in the new era." In the "Eight Major Joint Actions", the exchanges and mutual learning of civilizations are more specifically explained: "China will hold the China-Arab Youth Development Forum", "Invite 3,000 young people to participate in Sino-Arab cultural exchanges", "Jointly implement a hundred Mutual translation project of all classics and cooperation project of 50 audio-visual programs"...

During this visit, Xi Jinping said in a signed article published by the Saudi media, "Break the gap between civilizations with exchanges of civilizations, and surpass the conflict of civilizations with mutual learning between civilizations." The Riyadh Declaration of the summit also emphasized that we should abandon discrimination and prejudice against specific civilizations and oppose the theory of "clash of civilizations". The echoes one after the other let the outside world see the common language between China and Arab states in the exchange of civilizations.

"This is a journey of inheritance, but also a journey of creation," Xi Jinping described his trip to the Middle East in a signed article published by the Saudi media.

Undoubtedly, head-of-state diplomacy is the "compass" and "fixing star" for the in-depth development of inter-state relations, and plays an irreplaceable strategic leading role in shaping bilateral and multilateral relations. Under the guidance of the heads of state's diplomacy, the convening of the China-Arab Summit will further consolidate the pattern of regional multilateral cooperation, promote the comprehensive improvement and growth of China-Arab relations, and jointly write a new chapter in the construction of a "China-Arab Community of Shared Future". The friendly exchanges between China and Arab countries have spanned thousands of years, and now they have written a new footnote. On the afternoon of December 9, 2022 local time, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the first China-Arab States Summit in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, and delivered a keynote speech. In the turbulent world situation, this historic event with an unprecedented scale at the right time is even more extraordinary. It is an extremely important milestone in the history of the development of Sino-Arab relations. At a time when the world structure and international order are being restructured, President Xi Jinping's visit will play an extremely important role in deepening China-Saudi Arabia strategic cooperation and building a "China-Arab community with a shared future."

Witness the extraordinary leap in China-Arab relations

"China and Arab countries have a long history of friendly exchanges. They knew each other on the ancient Silk Road, shared weal and woe in the struggle for national liberation, cooperated and achieved win-win results in the wave of economic globalization, and upheld morality in the ever-changing international situation. The friendly spirit of mutual learning' between China and Arab states." Xi Jinping said in his keynote speech at the summit.

Located at the intersection of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Arab countries are important participants in the Silk Road civilization in history and natural partners in the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. Since China and the League of Arab States launched the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in 2004, China and the Arab States have carried out multilateral cooperation in various forms and rich in content under the framework of the ministerial mechanism. Since the Belt and Road Initiative was put forward in 2013, the layout of the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative between China and the Arab states has been continuously improved. The new pattern of "1+2+3" cooperation with the breakthrough in the high-tech field has set up a new model of cross-regional "South-South cooperation" in the world.

At present, global peace and development are facing a severe situation. The outside world believes that the holding of the first China-Arab Summit is at the right time, reflecting the high level of bilateral relations.

The first China-Arab Summit is China's largest and highest-level diplomatic action towards the Arab world since the founding of the People's Republic of China. On the same day, Xi Jinping, leaders of 21 Arab League countries and heads of international organizations including the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States attended the summit.

The summit issued the "Riyadh Declaration of the First China-Arab Summit", announcing that China and the Arab states have agreed to make every effort to build a China-Arab community with a shared future for the new era. In his keynote speech, Xi Jinping pointed out that "as strategic partners, China and Arab states should inherit and carry forward the spirit of friendship between China and Arab states, strengthen solidarity and cooperation, and build a closer China-Arab community with a shared future."

Zou Zhiqiang, a researcher at the Middle East Research Center of Fudan University, believes that joining hands to build a China-Arab community with a shared future for the new era sends an important signal, injects a strong new impetus into the friendship between the two sides, and witnesses the extraordinary leap in China-Arab relations.

The summit also created many "firsts": China and the Arab states held a summit for the first time on the basis of the ministerial-level China-Arab Cooperation Forum; Host multilateral diplomatic events.

The commentary pointed out that a series of important "firsts" will be recorded in the history of China-Arab relations, witnessing that China-Arab relations have reached a new level.

Planning an extraordinary cooperation between China and Arab states

The world is currently facing major changes unseen in a century. The new crown epidemic and the Ukraine crisis are intertwined and superimposed, and the world has entered a new round of turbulent change. Facing the complex international environment and changing geopolitical situation, China and Arab states have become more determined to develop friendly cooperation. Together, they have upgraded the China-Arab cooperation mechanism to a heads of state summit, which marks the comprehensive upgrade of the Sino-Arab strategic cooperative relationship.

In recent years, from energy security to people-to-people and cultural exchanges, from jointly fighting the epidemic to maintaining regional peace, China-Arab cooperation has continued to deepen and become solid. At this milestone summit, the “package” of cooperation outcomes between China and Arab states once again became the focus.

Xi Jinping pointed out at the summit that as the first step in building a China-Arab community with a shared future and implementing the Outline of China-Arab Comprehensive Cooperation Plan, in the next three to five years, China is willing to work with Afghanistan to support development, food security, health, health, Promote the "Eight Major Common Actions" in 8 areas including green innovation, energy security, dialogue among civilizations, youth development, security and stability.

Zou Zhiqiang said that the "eight major joint actions" have an overall and strategic height, which reflects the breadth and depth of mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the Arab states, which is unprecedented, and is an important concern of the Arab countries. For example, jointly build a public health science and technology cooperation center and a vaccine innovation and research and development cooperation alliance, establish a China-Arab international research center on drought, desertification and land degradation, carry out energy technology research and development cooperation, and strengthen energy policy coordination.

In addition, China and Arab states have also reached consensus on promoting a just settlement of the Palestinian issue, realizing a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, and eradicating the root causes of terrorism, among other hotspot issues.

The signal released by the interaction between China and Arab countries has attracted great attention from the international media, and it has also touched the "sensitive nerves" of individual countries. Some voices say that China's strengthening of cooperation with Arab countries is intended to replace other countries and fill the so-called "vacuum" in the Middle East.

"China-Arab cooperation has never aimed to replace others, and has never tried to confront any party." Wang Jin, an associate professor at the Middle East Institute of Northwest University, said that the cooperation results reached at the summit will provide the world with a model of mutually beneficial cooperation .

Continuing to write an extraordinary new narrative of mutual learning among civilizations

Looking back at the history of the ancient Silk Road, as the two major arteries connecting Eastern and Western civilizations, the peaceful exchanges between the two great nations of China and Arab states traveled through time and space, and across mountains and seas, creating a historical story of mutual benefit and mutual learning between different civilizations.

Whether it is Chinese porcelain, papermaking, and printing all the way west, or Arabian astronomy, calendar, and medicine, the Chinese civilization and Arabic civilization with their own characteristics contain the common concept and pursuit of human progress.

In the view of analysts, in the face of the "clash of civilizations" theory emerging in the international community, the exchange and dialogue between the two major civilizations of China and Arab states has once again become the focus, and will continue to write an extraordinary new narrative of mutual learning between civilizations.

In his keynote speech, Xi Jinping pointed out that it is necessary to "set up a model of exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations in the new era." In the "Eight Major Joint Actions", the exchanges and mutual learning of civilizations are more specifically explained: "China will hold the China-Arab Youth Development Forum", "Invite 3,000 young people to participate in Sino-Arab cultural exchanges", "Jointly implement a hundred Mutual translation project of all classics and cooperation project of 50 audio-visual programs"...

During this visit, Xi Jinping said in a signed article published by the Saudi media, "Break the gap between civilizations with exchanges of civilizations, and surpass the conflict of civilizations with mutual learning between civilizations." The Riyadh Declaration of the summit also emphasized that we should abandon discrimination and prejudice against specific civilizations and oppose the theory of "clash of civilizations". The echoes one after the other let the outside world see the common language between China and Arab states in the exchange of civilizations.

"This is a journey of inheritance, but also a journey of creation," Xi Jinping described his trip to the Middle East in a signed article published by the Saudi media.

Undoubtedly, head-of-state diplomacy is the "compass" and "fixing star" for the in-depth development of inter-state relations, and plays an irreplaceable strategic leading role in shaping bilateral and multilateral relations. Under the guidance of the heads of state's diplomacy, the convening of the China-Arab Summit will further consolidate the pattern of regional multilateral cooperation, promote the comprehensive improvement and growth of China-Arab relations, and jointly write a new chapter in the construction of a "China-Arab Community of Shared Future". Editor/Xu Shengpeng