Visit has broad significance for building China-Arab community of shared future: China Daily editorial

Coming to know and befriend each other through the ancient Silk Road, China and Arab states enjoy a long history of friendly exchanges, and together they have nurtured friendly relations featuring solidarity and mutual assistance, which have now become the hallmarks of their cooperation.

Driven by a combination of economic, strategic and geopolitical factors that offer mutual benefits for both sides, the cooperation between the Arab countries and China continues to increase, broadening and deepening in scope.

Premier Li Qiang's visit to the Middle East this week has not only further strengthened China's ties with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, his two ports of call, but is also expected to have helped promote peace and stability in the region as a whole, which is experiencing a new wave of turbulence.

When meeting with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and co-chairing the Fourth Meeting of the High-Level Chinese-Saudi Joint Committee with him in Riyadh on Wednesday, Premier Li stressed that China puts the development of relations with Saudi Arabia as a priority in its Middle East diplomacy.

Indeed, Beijing and Riyadh have drawn closer to each other as the two countries look to leverage their respective strengths to achieve shared goals and enhance their positions in the global arena by aligning their development strategies and collaborating on a wide range of bilateral and international issues of mutual concern.

With the strategic guidance of the two countries' leaders, the bilateral relationship has deepened and thrived in a comprehensive way, and fruitful results have been reaped from their cooperation in various areas, including energy, investment, finance, culture and people-to-people exchanges.

For the two Arab countries, cooperation with China in areas such as renewable energy, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure can not only drive growth but also facilitate the strengthening of their innovation ecosystems with technology transfers and knowledge sharing. During Li's visits, various cooperation agreements are expected to be signed in digital and green fields.

Meanwhile sharing similar positions on international and regional issues, the three countries adhere to the principles of respecting other nations' sovereignty and noninterference in other nation's internal affairs. This is demonstrated by the efforts the three countries have made to bring an end to the conflict in Gaza.

Li's trip to the region is another sign that the Arab countries and China want to capitalize on new opportunities for economic growth, technological advancement and regional cooperation amid the rapidly evolving global landscape.

In his meeting with Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi on Wednesday, Li called on GCC countries to strengthen the alignment of their development strategies with that of China amid expectations that the two sides can conclude their negotiations on the China-GCC free trade agreement at an early date. This would facilitate the two sides jointly cultivating more new economic growth points by making a forward-looking layout for emerging industries and future industries.

The desire of the Arab countries to reduce their reliance on their traditional Western allies and strengthen their cooperation with other countries in the region mean that they are also stepping up their cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative to help navigate the regional geopolitical challenges and promote stability in the Middle East. This will contribute to China's overall relationship with the entire Arab world and the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era.

Cooperation on BRI infrastructure development projects can enhance connectivity between the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe, furthering the economic interests of all three countries and the region as a whole.