Expo a platform for Belt and Road cooperation between China, Arab states

The seventh China-Arab States Expo concluded on Aug 31 in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

The expo, featuring 36,000 square meters of exhibition area, attracted exhibitors from 1,082 organizations and enterprises from 53 countries and regions around the world.

The number of visitors at the expo totaled 218,700, with the value of on-site deals reaching 82.39 million yuan ($11.55 million) and an intended transaction value of 624 million yuan.

Meanwhile, more than 40 investment promotion events, including trade and economic talks and industrial matchmaking activities, were held during the expo, resulting in 331 cooperation agreements with contracts totaling 107.75 billion yuan. Among these, 28 projects were valued at more than 1 billion yuan each.

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The expo is a vital platform for strengthening traditional trade ties and high-value investment partnerships between the United Arab Emirates and China, UAE business insiders said.

Ali Al-Amin, an economic expert and head of the Investment Unit at Sharjah Islamic Bank, said the expo offered a genuine opportunity to advance UAE-China economic ties, from traditional trade exchanges to high-value investment partnerships in priority areas such as renewable energy and sustainable technology.

"We are not participating merely for representation; we are committed to playing an active role in shaping new paths of cooperation, particularly in light of the challenges facing regional economies," he said.

Clear focus

The expo saw a transition from introductory exchanges to more mature discussions, with participants showing a clear focus on the quality and feasibility of the projects, he noted, highlighting the bank's focus on studying investment opportunities presented at the expo and assessing their potential to be transformed into tangible development projects.

Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, president and CEO of Dubai Chambers, described the expo as benefiting the private sector in both the UAE and China.

"We're exploring ways to do more business missions and attend large events that will take place in China, and we will continuously host high-level delegations from different provinces in China," Lootah said.

A record growth in two-way investments between the UAE and China "represents the increased interest from the private sector and business communities from both sides," he said.

"Just looking at Dubai Chamber of Commerce membership, by the end of the first half of this year, we counted 6,000 Chinese companies as our members. We continue to have a lot of engagement with China since it's a significant trade and investment partner for us," he said.

Since its launch in 2013, the China-Arab States Expo has been an important platform for Belt and Road cooperation between China and Arab states, and China stands ready to work with Arab states to carry forward the spirit of China-Arab friendship, and promote the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun on Aug 29.

The expo featured the council meeting of the China-Arab Countries Inter-Bank Association, the Silk Road E-Commerce innovation and development conference, and other events on meteorology, standardization and intellectual property, the first of its kind in the expo's history, which will give a fresh boost to cooperation between China and Arab states, he added.

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"Next year, the second China-Arab States Summit will be hosted in China," Guo said, adding that China stands ready to work with Arab states to carry forward the spirit of China-Arab friendship, carry out "eight major cooperation initiatives" for practical cooperation and "five cooperation frameworks", write a new chapter for common development, and promote the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future.