China-Arab Summit planned to build community with shared future

China and Arab states will host a China-Arab Summit and discuss specific plans on how to build a China-Arab community with a shared future, a Foreign Ministry official said on Tuesday.

In the Amman Declaration released during the 9th ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum on Monday, the two sides agreed to elevate the forum to summit level.

While the two sides are still in close communication over the specific time to hold the event, Wang Di, who directs the ministry's department of West Asian and North African Affairs, told reporters at a press briefing in Beijing that the summit will be hosted by Saudi Arabia "because the country expressed the willingness to convene it".

"The decision to host such a summit is in itself a testament to the strong determination of both sides to elevate their strategic partnership and deepen cooperation across the board," he said.

According to Wang, by elevating the forum to summit level, Arab states hope to make historical progress in Arab-China relations, which will also open up a new prospect for the building of a community with a shared future for both sides, an initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping at the forum's 8th ministerial meeting in 2018.

During the meeting on Monday, the Arab states also expressed their satisfaction on the accomplishments made by the forum over the past 16 years since its establishment in 2004, and they see the forum as a major example of cooperation between the Arab League and its international partners, Wang said.

They reiterated the commitment to deliver an action plan for the forum in the next two years, accelerate Belt and Road cooperation and deepen cooperation with China in trade and investment, energy, technology, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, he added.

"Let me point it out very frankly that given the current circumstances, it is not easy for the successful host of this meeting as the world is hit by COVID-19 and the pandemic is still spreading in the Middle East," Wang told reporters.

While many important cooperation mechanisms are either delayed or postponed, Wang said that all Arab states still believe the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum must be convened on time because it will demonstrate the strong solidarity between the two sides to combat COVID-19 and their strong determination to advance strategic partnership.

According to Wang, participants also discussed the resumption of work and production, as it is the common concern of both China and Arab countries.

Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in this regard according to their own characteristics and the fast track arrangement is also in consideration, he said.

Wang noted that China and Arab states will open fast track lanes based on requirements for trade and people-to-people exchanges according to their individual needs. Such an arrangement will be aimed at all Arab countries instead of specific ones.