Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the first China-Arab States Summit and delivers a keynote speech titled "Carrying Forward the Spirit of China-Arab Friendship and Jointly Building a China-Arab Community with a Shared Future in the New Era" in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dec 9, 2022. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

RIYADH – President Xi Jinping and leaders of Arab countries jointly laid out a blueprint for comprehensive cooperation and agreed to build a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era at the first China-Arab States Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Friday.

The summit, which brought together leaders from the Middle East and North Africa, adopted a plan of action for comprehensive cooperation between China and the Arab states.

In a keynote speech made at the summit, Xi said China stands ready to work with the Arab states to jointly move forward with eight joint actions covering growth, food security, health, green innovation, energy security, dialogue between civilizations, youth and security.

FUL TEXT: Xi Jinping's keynote speech at China-Arab States Summit

"China and the Arab states, as strategic partners, should carry forward and amplify the bilateral friendly spirit, enhance unity and cooperation and forge an even closer community with a shared future," he told Arab leaders at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center.

Xi said Beijing supports the Arab world using its own wisdom to promote the political settlement of hotspot and difficult issues and to pursue common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security in the Middle East

The two sides should adhere to independence and autonomy and safeguard common interests, he said.

Xi highlighted the need to consolidate cooperation in the economy, trade, energy and infrastructure construction while fostering new growth engines such as low-carbon growth, health, investment and finance.

Beijing supports the Arab world using its own wisdom to promote the political settlement of hotspot and difficult issues and to pursue common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security in the Middle East, he said. Xi also extended China's support for the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people, saying that their pursuit of an independent state cannot be denied.

The Chinese president also attended on Friday the China-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit with leaders of the six Gulf states — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain — and GCC Secretary-General Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajraf, during which the leaders decided to establish and enhance a strategic partnership between China and the bloc.

China, with its vast market and sound industrial system, is a natural cooperative partner of the GCC, which is endowed with rich energy resources and is undergoing economic diversification, he said.

The two sides should be partners that work toward greater unity, seek joint development, build up a security shield and promote greater people-to-people exchanges, the president said.

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Beijing will continue to expand its crude oil and liquefied gas imports from members of the GCC and stands ready to boost the development of oil and gas and cooperation in clean and low-carbon energy technology, he said.

The two sides will conduct the settlement of oil and gas trade with the renminbi, he said. Trade between China and members of the GCC grew 44.1 percent year-on-year in 2021, reaching $232.87 billion, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

He expressed Beijing's readiness to conduct cooperation on financial regulation, establish a joint council on investment and support sovereign funds from both sides in conducting cooperation on various fronts.

FULL TEXT: Xi Jinping's keynote speech at China-GCC Summit

The president urged heightened collaboration on 5G and 6G technologies, saying that the two sides should implement 10 digital economic projects centering on cooperation on cross-border e-commerce and the development of telecommunication networks.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, King Abdullah II of Jordan, King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Tunisian President Kais Saied, Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Comorian President Azali Assoumani, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, Algerian Prime Minister Ayman Benabderrahmane, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and other leaders of 21 Arab League countries and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and other heads of international organizations attend the first China-Arab States Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dec 9, 2022. (XIE HUANCHI / XINHUA)

As part of broader steps toward bilateral cooperation in the aerospace sector, China welcomes astronauts from the bloc to enter the Chinese space station and conduct joint missions with Chinese crews and space science experiments, he said.

Xi called on both sides to foster new highlights in language and culture cooperation, saying that China will conduct cooperation with 300 universities and schools from the GCC on Chinese language education and set up 300 smart Chinese language classrooms in member states of the bloc.

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The Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud said the GCC members all hope to enhance cooperation with China, and the bloc remains committed to scaling up exchanges in experiences and technological cooperation with China to work toward greater outcomes in infrastructure, health and energy.

The summit adopted a joint declaration and an action plan for strategic dialogue between China and the GCC from 2023 to 2027.

Contact the writer at xuwei@chinadaily.com.cn