He Xiaona, a Morrocan girl studying in China’s Wuhan University, receives food shooping online during the epidemic outbreak in Wuhan. She chose to stay in Wuhan when many other foreigners evacuated from the city and donated $700 to help fight the COVID-19 (IDCPC)

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the China-Arab States Political Parties Dialogue Extraordinary Meeting on June 22, emphasizing the unremitting efforts to build a community with a shared future between China and Arab countries and realize the great rejuvenation of China and Arab nations.

Nasser Bouchiba, Chairman of the Africa-China Cooperation Association for Development in Morocco, said the concept of building a community with a shared future between China and Arabs in a new era conveys China’s willingness and sincerity to strengthen cooperation with Arab countries.

“Both China and Arab countries are developing states, facing the common arduous task of economic growth and social stability. Building a community with a shared future for China and Arab countries expresses the two sides’ willingness for cooperation and mutual support during future development,” he said.

There have been friendly exchanges between China and Arab countries for centuries. In the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Chinese navigator Wang Dayuan sailed to Arab countries and arrived in Morocco. Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta also traveled to China in the Yuan Dynasty. Both Wang and Battuta described what they saw and heard during their travels in their books, which produced far-reaching effects.

With the concept of building a community with a shared future for China and Arab states in the new era initiated, Sino-Arab ties have added new dimensions. “China and Arab countries need to deepen mutual understanding through cultural exchanges. Only when mutual understanding is enhanced can we trust each other and further develop extensive cooperation. Moreover, we need to continue in-depth research and exchanges on our industrial sectors to truly complement each other with our respective advantages and cooperate with each other to promote industrial development and upgrading,” Bouchiba said.

A letter written by He Xiaona to encourage Chinese and express her love for China and Chinese people (IDCPC)

He also said that since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease, China and Arab countries have reached out to each other, which exemplified true bilateral friendship in hardship.

The Africa-China Cooperation Association for Development, established in 2018, supports Sino-African ties through innovative and practical cooperation in various fields.