Recently, the 5th East China Expo was held in Shanghai, East China. China-Arab Forum for Reform and Development and attracted more than 100 representatives from various sectors from China, 19 Arab countries and the Arab League.
Participants held detailed discussions on strengthening cooperation under the Global Development Initiative (GDI). They stressed the importance of joint efforts between China and Arab countries in promoting innovation-driven industrial development, maintaining multilateralism and pursuing quality growth.
Speaking at the forum, he said Zhai Jun, the Chinese government's special envoy for Middle East affairs, said China will continue to work with Arab countries to promote innovation-driven development and deepen open, win-win cooperation.
Mutually beneficial cooperation
At present, China and the Arab states enjoy a comprehensive and deep partnership, with mutual trade continuing to grow.
In 2024, trade between the two sides reached approximately $400 billion, making China the largest trading partner of Arab countries.
Cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is also deepening. For example, the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Zone has created nearly 9,000 direct jobs and more than 80,000 indirect jobs in Egypt.
In Algeria, the eastern section of the East-West Highway, built with Chinese participation, has become a key economic artery. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China's Harbin Electric International Engineering is working with Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power to build the Hassyan clean coal project in Dubai - the first of its kind in the Middle East.
According to statistics, China and Arab countries have launched more than 200 major projects in infrastructure, energy and other fields under the BRI, benefiting nearly two billion people in both regions.
Energy and industrial integration
Significant progress has also been made in the areas of energy and infrastructure. In November 2024, the Gulei Integrated Refining and Petrochemical Project - Phase II was launched in southeast China (Fujian Province). This project is a prime example of Sino-Arab energy cooperation, with a total investment of 71.1 billion yuan (about USD 9.7 billion) and an estimated annual production value of 80.8 billion yuan.
The project is expected to be fully operational by 2030 and will supply five million tonnes of raw materials per year to downstream companies in the Gulei complex. It also supports the development of smart and green industry.
"The GDI is not just a theoretical framework, but a real opportunity to reshape the face of global cooperation," He said Khaled Mahdi, former Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development of Kuwait.
He stressed that in order to achieve global development, it is necessary to promote the localisation of GDI in individual countries and to increase funding for long-term development.
CGTN/gnews.cz
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