Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Officials, experts, and researchers affirmed the deepening relations between China and Arab countries, particularly the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, noting that these relations span more than four decades.
This was highlighted in a panel discussion titled Global Dialogue: China Shares Development Opportunities with the World, which TRENDS Research and Advisory organised in collaboration with the Embassy of China in the UAE and China Media Group.
Participants agreed that Arab-China relations are strong and resilient, with vast prospects for enhancing cooperation between the two sides in various fields. They stressed the importance of continuing dialogue and exchanging ideas to ensure a bright future for these relations.
They also recommended strengthening cooperation between China and Arab countries in various fields, including trade, investment, scientific research, and technology. Additionally, they emphasised leveraging the media’s role in enhancing commercial, cultural, and popular exchanges and involving youth in shaping the future of Arab-China relations.
The panel discussion began with a welcome address by Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Ali, CEO of TRENDS Research and Advisory. He welcomed the attendees and underscored the importance of international cooperation in addressing increasing developmental challenges. He also highlighted the role of think tanks in providing innovative insights to enhance development worldwide.
Dr. Al Ali pointed out TRENDS’ interest in studying China's growth potential and its role in sharing development opportunities with the world by ensuring the prosperity of international trade and increasing investments in developing countries.
He praised the Chinese government's efforts to achieve the targeted economic growth for 2024 and the continuous funding provided by Chinese development agencies to modernise the economies of developing countries. He emphasised the growing partnership between China and the GCC countries, noting that the UAE and Saudi Arabia are joining the BRICS group of countries.
Dr. Al Ali expressed optimism about the future economic relations between China and the region's countries, outlining their shared vision and international issues they collaborate on. He expressed confidence that the discussions would yield insightful perspectives and valuable recommendations for achieving sustainable development goals.
In a keynote address, Zhang Yiming, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the UAE, praised TRENDS' research efforts and collaboration with China Media Group on various occasions. He stated, “Since China's reform and opening up, the country has been working at the highest levels to enhance and monitor China's policies and future priorities, which has led to accelerated reform and development steps in China.”
Yiming noted that China is implementing a new pattern of development that leverages the vast domestic market while continuously expanding external openness. This has resulted in China's GDP reaching 61 trillion yuan, with an annual growth rate of five percent.
He emphasised the depth of UAE-China relations, highlighting that the recent visit of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping strengthened relations and resulted in the signing of numerous agreements that enhanced trade and economic partnership between the two countries.
In another keynote address, Shen Haixiong, Vice Minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, President and Editor-in-Chief of China Media Group, stated, "China's reform efforts are unprecedentedly extensive and powerful. Since 2013, over 600 reform documents and over 3,000 reform plans have been approved at the central level.”
China has maintained its leading position globally in trade in goods for seven consecutive years, ranking second globally in foreign investment and first in the world in manufacturing volume for 13 consecutive years.
The panel discussion, moderated by Li Chao, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China Media Group Middle East, covered several themes. The first focused on shared development opportunities (the Belt and Road Initiative, trade relations, and economic opportunities between the GCC and China).
Zhao Liyan, Chief Representative of the CCPIT Representative Office in the Gulf Area, presented a comprehensive overview of China's development journey and its role in global development. She explained that China contributes 18 percent to the worldwide economy and strives to enhance international cooperation to achieve a "community with a shared future for humanity.”
The second theme was China and opportunities to share development with the world. Abdulaziz Al Shehhi, Senior Researcher at TRENDS, stated that China shares development through trade partnerships, becoming the top trading partner for many countries, including those that compete with it. China is the top trading partner for the USA, the EU, and India. He illustrated various forms of research cooperation between China and the UAE.
Al Shehhi emphasised that sharing development with China is an opportunity and a shared responsibility, stressing that China is not only an economic power but also a global power striving to promote its developmental image to build an international community.
The third theme addressed the role of the media in enhancing cooperation between China and the UAE. Dr. Hamad Al Kaabi, CEO of Aletihad News Center, emphasised the media's role in boosting commercial, cultural, and popular exchanges between the two countries. He explained that media plays a significant role in introducing people to each other's cultures and enhancing mutual understanding.
Al Kaabi highlighted that the relations between the UAE and China represent a unique "win-win" cooperation model. Over the past forty years, significant achievements have been made in various fields, from enhancing trade exchanges to cooperation in vital areas such as energy, technology, and culture.
The fourth theme of the panel discussion focused on the youth's perspective on the future of Arab-China relations. Alanoud Al Hosani, Chairperson of the TRENDS Youth Council, emphasised the pivotal role of youth in shaping this future. She pointed out that the youth's engagement with modern technologies and exposure to different cultures make them highly capable of enhancing mutual understanding between the two sides.
Shamma Ahmed Al Qutbah, a researcher at TRENDS Research and Advisory, introduced and concluded the panel discussion saying: "Today, we celebrate the deep and growing relations between China and the GCC countries, which extend more than four decades and reflect a shared vision of progress, innovation, and prosperity."
