Minister of Foreign Affairs and his Chinese Counterpart chair the Tenth Session of the Ministerial Meeting of the Arab-Chinese Forum

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Mauritanians Abroad, Chairman of the Council of the Arab League at the ministerial level, Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, and Mr. Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, chaired, on Thursday in Beijing, the tenth session of the ministerial meeting of the Arab-Chinese Forum
In his speech on the occasion, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Mauritanians Abroad stressed that the China-Arab Cooperation Forum, which was established in 2004, is an ideal platform to discuss ways to enhance cooperation and understanding between Arab countries and the People’s Republic of China, and to discuss the various challenges facing the achievement of their common goals.
Here is the text of the Minister’s speech:
“Your Excellency Mr. Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China;

Your Excellencies the Ministers;

Your Excellency Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States;

Excellencies;

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to join my friend Mr. Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, in opening the tenth session of the ministerial meeting of the Arab-Chinese Forum, which this year commemorates its twentieth anniversary.

In this regard, I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to the friendly Chinese leadership, Government and people for the warm reception and hospitality.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The China-Arab Cooperation Forum, established in 2004, is an ideal platform to discuss ways to enhance cooperation and understanding between our Arab countries and the People’s Republic of China, and to discuss various challenges facing the achievement of our common goals.

Its main strength is that it draws inspiration from a rich heritage of relations between the Arab world and China and a long shared history of cultural and commercial exchange since the days of the Silk Road.
The seventh and eighth centuries, in particular, witnessed active relations between the Arab and Chinese civilizations, as Arab merchants headed to Chinese cities carrying various goods such as perfumes, jewels, medicines and glass products, only to return with porcelain, silk, tea and musk.
Arabs transferred Chinese arts such as papermaking, compass and printing to the West, contributing to the European Renaissance. The exchange of dozens of embassies between the Arabs and China at that time played a prominent role in promoting understanding and fruitful cooperation between the two sides; among these embassies, Caliph Abu Jaafar Al-Mansur sent an embassy to China, and Baghdad received Chinese missions during the reign of Caliph Harun al-Rashid.
In the current era, Arab-Chinese relations have witnessed great development, at all bilateral and multilateral levels, and China has today become the largest trading partner of the Arab countries combined and the first investor in them. The importance that our countries attach to these relations is illustrated by the presence of eminent leaders from our countries at this session.
For 59 years, Mauritania, has had a historical friendship and strong relations of solidarity and cooperation in all fields.
The visit of His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, to the People’s Republic of China at the invitation of His Excellency the Chinese President, Mr. Xi Jinping, was an important moment in the record of consultations and coordination of positions between the leaders of the two countries on regional and international issues, and an indication of the joint readiness to raise the level of cooperation between the two countries to the widest horizons.
In this context, let me assure you of our great support for the important initiatives launched by President Xi Jiping, such as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the World Civilization Initiative, and our keenness to actively participate in the ‘’Belt and Road’’ Initiative.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The transformations that the world has witnessed since the establishment of the Arab-Chinese Forum in many fields, and the successive developments and crises of the last five-year period at all political, economic, health and security levels, reinforce our conviction of the need to develop multilateral cooperation based on mutual respect and adherence to international law and the principles of good-neighbourliness and non-interference in the internal affairs of States.
There is no doubt that the involvement of Arab countries in China’s Belt and Road Initiative is an important step towards strengthening economic and trade cooperation between China and Arab countries in strategic fields such as quality education, youth rehabilitation and employment, infrastructure development and various social services, so as to achieve mutual benefits for both sides and meet the conditions of comprehensive sustainable development.
It is no secret that in recent years, thanks to the wisdom of its leadership and the efficiency of its policies, China has been able to achieve tremendous growth in various fields, thus assuming a pivotal position in major international balances and a recognized leader in defending just causes in the world and international peace, security and stability.
In fact, relations between us and China are based on common denominators, mutual interests and identical views on the most important regional and international issues; China is one of the biggest supporters of the first Arab and Muslim cause, the Palestinian cause. I have repeatedly demonstrated this, as occurred in the Security Council on April 18 in the vote in favor of the draft resolution granting the Palestinian state full membership in the United Nations, and on May 10 in the General Assembly vote on the eligibility of the Palestinian state for this membership.
In this regard, we recall that the Arab Group, for its part, has remained steadfast in its position in support of the one-China principle.
The Arab Group and the People’s Republic of China also jointly advocate reform of the United Nations system and the international financial architecture in order to enhance multilateralism and the credibility and effectiveness of international governance in the face of challenges.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
For more than seven months, Israel, the occupying Power in Palestine, has been pursuing a systematic war of extermination against the defenceless Palestinian people, in full view of the international community, in flagrant and flagrant defiance of the principles of international law, international humanitarian law and all moral and humanitarian norms and values.
The international community must shoulder its moral and legal responsibilities to impose an immediate cessation of the ongoing war of genocide, provide the requirements of a decent life for the displaced, return the displaced to their places of origin, provide protection for the Palestinian people and reject their displacement from their homeland, and work to find a final and sustainable solution to the Palestinian question.
The desired solution should be based on the Arab initiative and relevant international resolutions, so as to guarantee the Palestinian people all their legitimate rights, recognition of their independent state on the borders of June 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and final acceptance of Palestine as a full member state of the United Nations.
Here, we would like to reiterate our appreciation for the firm position of the People’s Republic of China on the Palestinian question and our reliance on it as a balancing force in the international community to push for the achievement of these goals, the achievement of which depends on the security and stability of the Middle East, which constitutes a basic and pivotal condition for international peace and security.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Allow me to thank the delegates and senior officials of our countries, officials of the Chinese government and the team of the League of Arab States for the coordinated and distinguished work they have accomplished, especially with regard to the preparation of the draft statement, declaration and ambitious executive program 2024-2026, which are documents that sincerely express our common perception of all the issues before our esteemed assembly.
Allow me, on behalf of the Arab Group, to thank the Chinese authorities for the good organization of this session, which we look forward to the important results that will contribute to strengthening the fruitful partnership of the two sides and the world at large.
I wish the work of our forum success, Thank you and peace be upon you.”