“Arab-China relations will be further strengthened” - Interview with Arab Parliament Speaker Oushumi
People's Daily Online, Cairo, May 30. On May 30, the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum was successfully held in Beijing and achieved fruitful results. The meeting adopted three outcome documents: the Beijing Declaration, the Action Implementation Plan of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum from 2024 to 2026, and the Joint Statement between China and Arab States on the Palestinian Issue. During the meeting, China also signed a number of bilateral and multilateral cooperation documents with the participating countries and the Arab League Secretariat.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum. This meeting is the first ministerial-level meeting held by the forum after the first China-Arab Summit and is of great significance. Speaker Oshumi of the Arab Parliament said in an interview with reporters that since its establishment, the China-Arab Cooperation Forum has become an important engine for promoting the development of China-Arab relations and has played a key role in strengthening China-Arab collaboration in various fields and promoting win-win cooperation. .
Speaker of the Arab Parliament Oshumi. Photo provided by interviewee
Oshumi believes that cooperation between Arab countries and China is multi-level, including exchanges and cooperation in politics, economy, culture, science and technology and other fields. "The China-Arab States Cooperation Forum promotes and strengthens multi-field cooperation between Arab countries and China, and also plays an important role in coordinating international relations, adhering to a just stance, and opposing unilateral hegemony."
Oshumi pointed out that China and Arab countries adhere to independence, safeguard common interests, and support each other on issues of major concern. China supports Arab countries in independently exploring development paths that suit their national conditions, which is highly appreciated by Arab countries. The Arab Parliament also issued a statement fully supporting the one-China principle.
Oshumi believes that China and Arab countries maintain close communication and cooperation within mechanisms such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to promote global governance in a more fair and reasonable direction. "We all hope to build a more just global system and get rid of the rule and control of a single big country. Arab-China cooperation conforms to this trend."
China firmly ranks as the largest trading partner of Arab countries, and the mutual direct investment between China and Arab countries exceeds 30 billion US dollars. China and Arab countries have implemented more than 200 large-scale cooperation projects within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. Oshumi said that the "Belt and Road" initiative has been widely promoted around the world, improving and developing the infrastructure of various countries, making great contributions to the stability, development and job creation of various countries, and striving to achieve common development through consultation, joint construction and sharing. The initiative also provides a platform for people from all countries to communicate and cooperate, and promotes people-to-people bonds. He said that the Arab Parliament supports and urges Arab countries to enact national laws that support the investment environment and strengthen the implementation of “Belt and Road” related projects in countries in the Arab region.
Oshumi said that the Arab Parliament highly appreciates the three global initiatives proposed by China, namely the Global Civilization Initiative, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. These initiatives are conducive to regional and global security and peace and have won the trust and respect of the international community. He said that China has made great efforts to promote the Saudi-Iraq peace talks. On the Palestinian issue, China has always been committed to promoting a comprehensive, fair and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue. China is one of the most important countries in the world that supports the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and supports the two-state solution to the Palestinian issue.
Last August, Oshumi led a delegation to visit China. During this visit, he was deeply impressed by China's achievements in poverty alleviation. "We visited some local factories, saw China's efforts and achievements in developing related technologies and green industries, and also felt the richness and diversity of Chinese culture."
A country's modernization must not only follow the general laws of modernization, but also conform to its own reality and have its own characteristics. China is pursuing a development path of Chinese-style modernization. "To achieve modernization, we need to respect our country's national conditions and resources to respond to different opportunities and challenges." Oshumi said that China has not copied the Western model, but has embarked on a development path of Chinese-style modernization, which is unique to Arab countries. It has strong reference significance and provides assistance to the modernization and development of Arab countries.
At present, practical cooperation between Afghanistan and China is being further strengthened. Oushumi believes that Arab countries and China will usher in a broader space for cooperation, and looks forward to broader cooperation in the fields of energy, technology, artificial intelligence and other fields. "Arab-China relations will be further enhanced."
