CAIRO – The Global South Media and Think Tank Forum Chinese-Arab Partnership Conference opened Tuesday at the headquarters of the League of Arab States in the Egyptian capital of Cairo.
The two-day event, under the theme "Pooling Wisdom, Embarking on a New Journey: Jointly Building a China-Arab Community with a Shared Future", gathers about 250 representatives from around 110 media outlets, think tanks, government institutions, enterprises from China and Arab countries, as well as from international and regional organizations.
In his opening remarks, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the League of Arab States, said that countries of the Global South are facing a wide range of challenges. The Global Governance Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, he noted, has opened up broad prospects for promoting the democratization of international relations, narrowing the North-South divide, resolving global crises through peaceful means, and building a better future together.
Arab and Chinese media outlets and think tanks urgently need to strengthen cooperation, build consensus, foster strong bonds between the Arab and Chinese peoples, and promote a more just and equitable international order, he stressed.
Holding the Global South Media and Think Tank Forum Chinese-Arab Partnership Conference at the headquarters of the League of Arab States carries important significance, Gheit said, noting that it will promote experience-sharing between Arab and Chinese media outlets and think tanks, open up broader prospects for cooperation, deepen exchanges and mutual learning in ideas and civilizations between the two countries, and make Arab-China media and think tanks an important pillar in strengthening Arab-China friendship.
President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua, for his part, said that under the strategic guidance of President Xi and the leaders of Arab states, China-Arab relations have entered their best period in history: strategic mutual trust has been steadily deepened, cooperation across multiple fields has continued to expand, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges have yielded fruitful results.
Media and think tanks play a vital role in China-Arab friendship and cooperation by amplifying voices, contributing intellectual insight, and connecting hearts, Fu said, stressing that Xinhua will continue to promote and explain in depth the idea of a community with a shared future for humanity and the four major global initiatives proposed by President Xi, fully showcase the vivid practice of China and Arab countries walking hand in hand and engaging in pragmatic cooperation, further improve and strengthen cooperation mechanisms between Chinese and Arab media and think tanks, promote closer exchanges through more practical measures, advance exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations and closer people-to-people ties, and contribute media and think-tank strength to building a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era.
In his address, Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang said that 10 years ago, President Xi visited the headquarters of the League of Arab States and delivered an important speech in this very hall, offering China's answer to the "Middle East question", stressing that recalling it today makes it all the more instructive.
Not long ago, President Xi put forward a four-point proposal on safeguarding and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, which has received broad support and a positive response from the international community, Liao added.
The League of Arab States is an important platform for Arab countries to strengthen solidarity and self-reliance, he said, noting China-Arab relations have a long and enduring history, and this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Arab states.
The Chinese ambassador expressed his belief that the forum will further promote the exchange of governance experience between China and Arab countries and deepen their traditional friendship and people-to-people bonds. The Chinese side, he said, stands ready to work with Arab friends to carry forward the spirit of China-Arab friendship and stride forward on the bright path toward building a higher-level China-Arab community with a shared future.
Chinese and foreign guests attending the event said that China and Arab countries, as important members of the Global South, have always been committed to promoting peace and development and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, playing an important role in advancing international fairness and justice and improving global governance.
They added that China-Arab cooperation has become a model of solidarity and common development among developing countries, expressing hope that Global South media outlets and think tanks will further deepen China-Arab exchanges and mutual learning, build consensus on development, promote more practical cooperation outcomes, and advance substantive cooperation between Chinese and Arab media and think tanks.
Fu presented Gheit with the Arabic edition of the book China's Governance Under Xi Jinping's Leadership. The opening ceremony also featured a China-Arab art exhibition titled Art Integration: Across Millennia, the Silk Road Culture Endures, as well as a certificate-awarding ceremony honoring outstanding contributions by Global South joint communication partners.
The conference is co-hosted by Xinhua and the League of Arab States. During the event, participants will conduct in-depth discussions on topics including peaceful development, diverse narratives, digital innovation, and mutual learning among civilizations. A think-tank report titled Achievements, Opportunities, and Prospects of China-Arab Cooperation in the New Era will also be released.
