Ties to further improve in multiple fields

Based on the common goal of better mutual understanding and common prosperity, China and Arab countries shall further carry out exchanges and cooperation in cultural and academic fields, said Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the League of Arab States, in Shanghai on Friday.

The League of Arab States will continue to support the construction and development of the China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development, which was founded in 2017 and undertaken by Shanghai International Studies University, said Gheit during his visit to the university and the center.

He also attended the 100-day countdown ceremony for the completion of the full construction of the center, which will take on the mission of becoming a world-class think tank base and an international ideological exchange platform integrating research and training, talent cultivation, think tank research and people-to-people exchanges.

"The establishment of the center is an innovative measure to continue the friendship between China and Arab states, which is in line with the common interests of the two peoples and is conducive to mutual benefit and win-win results between China and Arab countries," said Gheit, who attended the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, which convened on Thursday in Beijing. The event is a major vehicle that has driven bilateral relations since 2004.

Gheit said: "I was really excited and encouraged that we're on the right track to strengthen the relationship between China and the Arab world. I'm sure that over time, the Chinese people and the Arab people will come together to understand themselves and each other in a manner that would strengthen the relations between both."

Since its establishment, the center, which is hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and the Shanghai municipal government, has held 20 seminars mainly about Sino-Arab cooperation and development prospects for mid — and high-level officials, diplomats, journalists and think tank researchers from Arab nations, providing training for altogether 517 mid — and high-level officials from those countries.

Some diplomats said that the seminars have helped increase their understanding of the emphasis the Communist Party of China places on talent training and innovation, China's responsibility as a major country to safeguard world peace and promote common development, and China's rapid progress across industries and fields, including clean energy and smart port operations.

Gheit gave high praise for the contributions made by the center in strengthening the reform and development as well as governance exchanges between China and Arab states.

At the university on Friday, Gheit also interacted with Chinese and international students and took questions about the development of China-Arab relations and the continuation of China-Arab friendship. He expressed hopes that more young students will devote themselves to the cause of China-Arab exchanges.

As another endeavor to promote communication, the Chinese Association of Higher Education and the Association of Arab Universities signed an agreement in Shanghai in June 2023 to establish the exchange mechanism of the China-Arab alliance of universities. Altogether, 321 Chinese universities have been recruited as member institutions of the cooperation plan. The Arab side will also select universities in their countries to connect with their Chinese counterparts and carry out exchanges soon.