CAIRO: China is ready to work with the Arab League (AL) to achieve solid progress in building a China-Arab community with a shared future, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit in Egyptian capital Cairo.
China-Arab relationship is at its best in history after Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leaders of Arab states reached important consensus at the first China-Arab States Summit held in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh in 2022, Wang said. China is willing to work with the Arab side to push for more progress in practical cooperation, he added.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks with AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit in the Egyptian capital Cairo, January 14, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry
This year, China will host the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. Wang said that China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with the AL to well prepare for the conference, opening up new prospects and injecting new impetus into China-Arab relations.
Calling Arab states “true friends and good partners” of China, Wang said that China will continue to support Arab countries in seeking strength through unity and upholding strategic independence.
For his part, Aboul-Gheit said the AL expects to take the ministerial conference as an opportunity to deepen cooperation with China in various fields.
He stressed that the AL firmly supports the one-China principle and the principle of “One Country, Two Systems,” and opposes double standard on issues related to human rights and Xinjiang as well as interference in China’s internal affairs.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit in the Egyptian capital Cairo, January 14, 2024. /Chinese Foreign Ministry
The two sides issued a joint statement on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict after their meeting, urging an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and stressing the two-state solution “a basis” for any future settlement concerning the fate of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
The statement noted that China and the Arab side support the holding of an inclusive dialogue participated by all Palestinian factions which is committed to achieving Palestinian’s reconciliation.
It called for holding an international peace conference with broad participation as soon as possible to promote the implementation of the two-state solution, and on such basis, resuming peace talks between Palestine and Israel.
The two sides also expressed deep concern in the statement over the recent escalation of the situation in the Red Sea and stressed that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen should be respected while ensuring the safety of international commercial routes in the Red Sea, which is a priority for international peace and security.
