Two-way approach sees trade routes flourish

The story of Jordanian merchant Mohanad Ali Moh'd Shalabi was related by President Xi Jinping in a speech about China-Arab cooperation four years ago. The result of that mention has been huge.

Shalabi never expected to be in the spotlight. He said that on June 5, 2014, he was surprised and excited to hear that he had been mentioned by the president.

He immediately shared Xi's remarks on the WeChat messaging app, quickly garnering dozens of likes.

Shalabi, 39, runs an Arabic restaurant and a trading company in Yiwu, a city in Zhejiang province known for the production and trading of small consumer goods.

In telling Shalabi's story at the sixth ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, Xi said Shalabi had brought the original flavor of Arabic food to Yiwu, and had not only seen business flourish but also love blossom in his marriage to a Chinese woman.

Shalabi's prosperity has mirrored the rise of China-Arab cooperation in building the Belt and Road. He came to China for the first time in 2000 and worked for an Arabic restaurant in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, where he fell in love with Liu Fang, from Anhui province.

Liu worked for the restaurant as a translator, then soon became his wife. The couple started their own business in 2002, taking over an Arabic restaurant from Shalabi's uncle in Yiwu. The business has flourished, as has the family. Shalabi has two sons born in Yiwu who now attend middle school.

He printed quotes from Xi's speech, put them in a large picture frame and placed them at the entrance to his restaurant.

Since then, more people have come to know about him and the restaurant－both locals or those from other countries who do business in the city.

"Yiwu is a paradise for businesspeople. I consider Yiwu my second home," Shalabi said.