Former Chinese diplomat: The King's visit to China has developed relations between the two countries
Amman4 min read
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Wu Sike, a member of the Foreign Policy Advisory Committee of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former Chinese government envoy to the Middle East, said on Monday that the friendship between China and its people and Arab countries and peoples stems from friendly exchanges along the ancient Silk Road.
During his conversation in Beijing with journalists representing several Arab countries, including Jordan, the former Chinese diplomat added that Arab countries and China bear a modern responsibility to achieve a renaissance.
Sike spoke about the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum and the new opportunities for cooperation between China and Arab countries.
He affirmed that the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum has become a landmark in the history of Chinese-Arab relations.
He explained that the forum's journey has spanned 22 years since 2004, confirming that he witnessed the establishment of the forum during his diplomatic service, and pointing out that the forum was a strategic choice made by the League of Arab States and China in pursuit of developing bilateral relations, at a time when the Arab world was facing immense pressure, which pushed it to seek the support of friendly countries and expand the margin for diplomatic maneuver.
He indicated that the establishment of the forum was announced from the headquarters of the League of Arab States in 2004.
The former Chinese diplomat provided a historical explanation of the forum's work and its operational mechanism, pointing to the importance of continued Arab-Chinese cooperation under the umbrella of the forum.
He said that China and Arab countries are loyal friends and excellent partners.
He continued: "At the present time, the Chinese people are moving with confident steps towards Chinese-style modernization to advance the process of comprehensive development for the Chinese national rejuvenation, while Arab countries are also going through a crucial stage of development and renaissance."
Sike spoke about the insistence of both the Chinese and Arab sides on linking the strengthening of high-quality "Belt and Road" construction with the development vision projects of Arab countries, deepening exchanges and cooperation in political, economic, trade, humanitarian, and other fields, sharing the opportunities provided by Chinese modernization and the national rejuvenation process with Arab countries, and moving forward together on the path of modernization for each of them.
The former Chinese diplomat touched upon the recent visit of His Majesty the King to China and its importance, saying: "In August, President Xi Jinping held talks in Beijing with His Majesty the King, who visited China on a state visit, which pushed the Jordanian-Chinese strategic partnership to achieve further development and contributed positively to peace, stability, and prosperity in the region."
He continued: "In September, President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Egypt, the first visit by a Chinese president to Egypt in 10 years, and the visit gained strategic importance for deepening the comprehensive Chinese-Egyptian strategic partnership and guiding Chinese-Arab cooperation."
During his speech in Arabic, he pointed out that he served in the Arab region for a long time and holds special respect for the Arab world, having worked as a diplomat in Iraq, Egypt, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, and he also visited Jordan several times.
Regarding cultural cooperation with the Arab world, he said: "Until now, China has opened 20 Confucius Institutes and two Confucius classrooms in Arab countries, and more than 50 Chinese universities have established Arabic language majors. The Chinese side encourages the Arab side to send students to study in China to cultivate new, continuous forces for Chinese-Arab friendship."
Regarding the role of the media, the former Chinese diplomat said that the media enhances cooperation through mutual visits and the production of joint programs, and increases mutual understanding and communication.
In the field of tourism, he said that the Arab world and China encourage the exchange of tourists and the development of tourism to deepen understanding and communication through tourism.
Regarding economic relations between the Arab world and China, he said that China has remained the largest trading partner of Arab countries for many consecutive years.
He pointed out that the volume of trade between China and the Arab world rose from $36.7 billion in 2004 to $431.4 billion in 2024, an increase of about 10 times over 20 years.
