Chinese president's Middle East tour inaugurates 'community of common destiny': Sudanese analysts

KHARTOUM -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's ongoing Middle East tour inaugurates a new phase in Sino-Arab ties featuring "community of common destiny," Sudanese political analysts said Friday.

The "community of common destiny" is an initiative earlier called for by President Xi as a major idea to tackle international relations and establish a humanitarian community free of war and conflict to achieve development and common prosperity for all mankind.

"The importance of this visit emanates from the fact that it is the first of its kind for the Chinese president to the Middle East region since he assumed his post three years ago," said Dr. Mohamed Hassan Saeed, a Sudanese political analyst and lecturer of political science at a number of Sudanese universities.

"The visit comes in culmination of a growing Chinese concern with the relations with the Arab countries, besides the issuing of the first China Arab Policy paper which set a number of major directives that are likely to create a new reality for these historical ties," he added.

The initiative of a community of common destiny was called for by the Chinese president about two years ago. It addresses the shortcomings in international relations and is aimed at creating a peaceful human community.

"President Xi's historical visit to the Middle East is likely to lay down the base for that initiative, considering what it means for the Arab region which is witnessing disturbances, political transformations and armed conflicts," Dr. Saeed said.

He reiterated China's ability to play a positive role in creating a state of stability in the disturbed Middle East region through sustaining the peace, achieving development and enhancing common interests and exchanged benefits.

"The Middle East region, which is witnessing great transformations, needs the Chinese wisdom and policy which stands on the principle of non-intervention in other countries' internal affairs," he noted.

Abdul-Khaliq Sheikh Iddris, a Sudanese political analyst, regarded President Xi's visit to the Middle East as an enhancement to the opportunities of success for China's "Belt and Road" initiative, proposed by the Chinese president in 2013.

"The Middle East region constitutes a crossroads center for the 'Belt and Road' initiative, where the Arab countries are the most enthusiastic to implement this initiative which is likely to bring together the economies of the countries of the region, increase their growth rates and enhance their ability to face risks," he noted.

He added that "historically, China was connected to the Arab countries by the 'Silk Road' where the two sides exchanged commercial benefits and helped in disseminating the different cultures. Reviving that initiative will create new opportunities of communication between the two sides in a manner that serve the entire humanity."

President Xi's is an opportunity to "explain his cooperation pattern, titled (1+2+3), which was declared in 2014, particularly that the Chinese and Arab sides enjoy potentialities that qualify them to achieve great successes relating to cooperation in fields of technology, particularly the domain of Nuclear power, satellites and alternative energies," Iddris said.

On Tuesday President Xi started his a five-day tour to the Middle East that includes Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran.