The China-Arab States Political Parties Dialogue Extraordinary Meeting was held through video link from June 22 to 24.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, sent a congratulatory letter to the meeting, expressing the CPC's readiness to intensify strategic communication with the political parties of Arab states.

Xi said China and Arab states enjoy an enduring friendship dating back to antiquity. Chinese and Arab peoples, erstwhile close companions along the ancient Silk Road, are working together to advance the Belt and Road cooperation to realize their common aspiration of national prosperity and rejuvenation.

The meeting, themed “Jointly Building a Community with a Shared Future for China and Arab States in the New Era,” and hosted by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, was attended by over 60 leaders of political parties from Arab states and six leaders of Arab states including Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani addressed the meeting.

"In the face of the unexpected COVID-19 outbreak, China and Arab states have rendered each other help and fought shoulder to shoulder, opening up a new chapter in building a community with a shared future for China and Arab states," Xi said in the letter, referring to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Joining hands

In-depth and inspirational exchanges were held between the CPC and Arab political parties, indicating the parties have been active in shouldering their responsibilities and have displayed farsightedness and insight.

"Having gone through this joint fight against the coronavirus, the China-Arab strategic partnership now enjoys an even stronger foundation, closer people-to-people friendship and brighter prospects for cooperation," Xi said.

He called the China-Arab States Political Parties Dialogue an important platform for party-to-party exchanges and cooperation between China and Arab states. Confronted with the new situation and new challenges in the wake of COVID-19, the CPC is willing to work side by side with Arab political parties to give better play to this platform through intensified strategic communication and shared governance experience against the backdrop of day-to-day epidemic prevention and control.

The Arab participants agreed with Xi's positive evaluation of the strategic partnership between China and Arab states, and appreciated the CPC and Chinese Government's adherence to putting people first in the fight against COVID-19 as well as promoting international cooperation to combat the pandemic.

They said exchanges among political parties have played an important role in deepening Sino-Arab political mutual trust and helped the bilateral cooperation in the fight against the epidemic. They also expressed their willingness to join the CPC in building a community with a shared future.

Mutual support

President Al-Assad, who also heads the Ba'ath Party in Syria, said economic initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as innovative political initiatives are needed to promote a world that ensures dignity and equal rights.

He also expressed the hope that China would play a bigger role in international politics.

President Ghazouani said in his written address that China and Mauritania enjoy a historically friendly relationship, which is based on mutual respect and collaboration on various bilateral, regional, and international issues. Mauritania will work with China to strengthen relations between the two countries, benefit people in the two countries and beyond, and enable them to share prosperity, peace and unity.

The meeting exemplified that on issues concerning the core interests and major concerns of China and Arab countries, the two sides enjoy mutual understanding and support; they have jointly safeguarded the interests of developing countries, multilateralism and international fairness and justice. It also showed their determination to take action against foreign interference and hegemony. Together, they have become a powerful force for building a community with a shared future for humanity.

During the three-day meeting, a joint declaration on fighting COVID-19 and building a community with a shared future for China and Arab states in the new era was released. It reiterated that it is necessary to defend the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the basic rules of international relations such as safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

Although the special meeting lasted only three days, the consensus reached and the information shared demonstrated that exchanges between the political parties of China and Arab countries are writing a new chapter. The Sino-Arab strategic partnership is moving forward and will show greater vitality after emerging from the hardship posed by the epidemic. Their cooperation will produce more results in the future.