Home > News&Events
Guo Wei, Head of Office of the People’s Republic of China to the State of Palestine, Gives A Joint Interview to the Palestinian Media on China-Arab States Summit
2023-01-21 17:03

On December 11, 2022, Guo Wei, Head of Office of the People’s Republic of China to the State of Palestine, gave a joint interview to the Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, the Jerusalem Post, Palestine News Network and Quds Net News Agency, introducing that President Xi Jinping attended the first China-Arab States Summit and delivered an important speech; Elucidating the spirit of friendship featuring “solidarity and mutual assistance, equality and mutual benefit, and inclusiveness and mutual learning”, four ways of building a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era, eight major cooperation initiatives on China-Arab practical cooperation; Reiterating China’s firm support for the Palestinian people’s just cause. The full text of the interview is as follows:

1. What is President Xi Jinping’s view of China-Arab relations at the China-Arab States Summit?

The speech delivered by President Xi Jinping focused on developing the spirit of China-Arab friendship to build a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era.

President Xi Jinping encapsulated three core spirits of China-Arab millennium friendship, spoke highly of the two sides that firmly support on issues involving our respective  core interests, make progress together to realize the dream of  national rejuvenation and brave wind and storms together in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic; China and Arab carried out practical and mutual-beneficial cooperation, the scale of economy and trade and two-way direct investment continued to expand, and the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" has achieved fruitful results; China and Arab jointly promote “peace, harmony, integrity, and truth”, the very essence of civilization, and jointly safeguard the diversity of world civilizations. 

2. How to realize the task of building a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era proposed by President Xi Jinping?

President Xi Jinping put forward four ways of building a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era. First, We should stay independent, firmly support each other in safeguarding sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity, jointly uphold the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs, practice true multilateralism. Second,  We should focus on economic development, strengthen synergy between our development strategies, and promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, tackle major challenges like food security and energy security and work with the Arab side to implement the Global Development Initiative. Third, We should uphold regional peace, build a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security architecture in the Middle East and urge the international community to respect the role of the Middle East people as masters of their own affairs. Fourth, We should increase exchanges among civilizations, deepen people-to-people cooperation and jointly oppose Islamophobia, advocate humanity's common values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom.

3. What are the more specifics of the eight major cooperation initiative on China-Arab practical cooperation?

President Xi Jinping announced that China will, in the next three to five years, work with the Arab side to advance eight major cooperation initiatives in areas including development support, food security, public health, green innovation, energy security, inter-civilizational dialogue, youth development, and security and stability, take solid steps in build a China-Arab community with a shared future.

The details of eight major initiatives on China-Arab practical cooperation, First, cooperation initiative on development support. China will discuss with the Arab side the implementation of assistance projects worth 5 billion yuan in development cooperation, and include 30 eligible Arab projects in the Global Development Initiative project pool. In line with the Arab side’s financing needs for projects in such areas as production capacity, infrastructure, energy and green finance, China will provide credit and credit facilities for the Arab side, and support the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in providing more high-quality, low-cost and sustainable infrastructure investment for the Arab side. In line with the progress in the exchange of notes, China will grant zero-tariff treatment to 98 percent of the taxable products from the least-developed Arab states. China will provide humanitarian and reconstruction assistance for countries including Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon and Syria. China aims to expand its trade with Arab states to 430 billion dollars by 2027.

Second, cooperation initiative on food security. China is ready to help the Arab side enhance its food security and comprehensive agricultural production capacity. China will, together with the Arab side, build five joint laboratories of modern agriculture and carry out 50 demonstration projects in agricultural technology cooperation, and send 500 experts in agricultural technology to the Arab side to help increase grain yield, improve its ability to harvest and store grain and reduce losses, and improve agricultural productivity. China will establish a “green channel” for the Arab side’s quality agri-food products to be exported to China.

Third, cooperation initiative on public health. China is ready to work with the Arab side to build a cooperation center on public health science and technology and a cooperation alliance for vaccine innovation, research and development, carry out five cooperation projects of traditional Chinese medicine in Arab states, continue to send Chinese medical teams to Arab states to perform 2,000 free cataract surgeries, and provide telemedicine services for people in Arab states.

Fourth, cooperation initiative on green innovation. China is ready to work with the Arab side to set up an international research center on drought, desertification and land degradation, and carry out five South-South cooperation projects in climate change. China will use its Fengyun meteorological satellites and the World Meteorological Center in Beijing to support the Arab side in disaster prevention and mitigation. China is ready to work with the Arab side to set up a China-Arab BeiDou Navigation Satellite System application and industrialization promotion center to provide the Arab side with quality services in such fields as transportation, precision agriculture, and search and rescue. China will build a number of joint laboratories or research and development cooperation centers with the Arab side in such fields as life and health, artificial intelligence, green and low-carbon, information and communications and space information, and provide 300 advanced and applicable technologies for the Arab side.

Fifth, cooperation initiative on energy security. China is willing to work with the Arab side to build a clean energy cooperation center, support Chinese energy enterprises and financial institutions to participate in renewable energy projects in Arab states with a total installed capacity of more than 5 million kilowatts. China is ready to cooperate with the Arab side in energy science and technology research and development, strengthen energy policy coordination, and promote the building of a global energy governance system featuring justice, equity, balance and shared benefits.

Sixth, cooperation initiative on inter-civilizational dialogue. China will invite 1,000 personages from political parties, parliaments, media and think tanks from the Arab side to China for exchanges. China will promote cooperation among 500 Chinese and Arab cultural and tourism enterprises and train 1,000 cultural and tourism talents for Arab states. China, together with the Arab side, will implement the mutual translation project of 100 classic books and the cooperation project of 50 audio-visual programs. China will continue to strengthen the China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development and enhance the dialogue of civilizations and the exchange of experience in governance between the two sides.

Seventh, cooperation initiative on youth development. China will hold a youth development forum with Arab states and launch a “10+10” cooperation plan between Chinese and Arab universities. China will invite 100 young scientists from the Arab side to China for scientific research exchanges, 3,000 teenagers for China-Arab cultural exchanges, and 10,000 Arab talents for professional training in poverty alleviation, health and green development. China is ready to help set up more Luban Workshops in Arab states.

Eighth, cooperation initiative on security and stability. China will work with the Arab side to strengthen strategic dialogues between their defense departments and military forces as well as exchanges between military units and between academies, deepen cooperation on maritime security, international peacekeeping and professional techniques, and expand joint military exercises and training as well as personnel training. China will train 1,500 personnel in such fields as smart policing and cyber security law enforcement for the Arab side. China will implement the China-League of Arab States Cooperation Initiative on Data Security, establish a network information exchange mechanism, and strengthen exchanges and dialogues in data governance and cyber security together with the Arab side.

4. What role does China play on the Palestinian issue?

On November 29, President Xi Jinping sent a message of congratulations to the UN’s special commemorative meeting in observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. This is the tenth consecutive year in which President Xi has extended congratulations to the annual special meeting. It fully shows China’s firm support for the Palestinian people’s just cause, high attention to the peace and stability in the Middle East and its resolution to support international equity and justice. On December 6, the Chinese government and the Palestinian government signed a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Cooperation, which will bring even more benefits to the peoples of both countries.

On December 8, President Xi Jinping noted in his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, China-Palestine friendship is deeply cherished by their people, adding that over the past five decades and more, the two sides have always trusted and supported each other. No matter how the international and regional situation changes, China always firmly supports the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore the legitimate rights and interests of their nation, and always stands with the Palestinian people. The international community should prioritize the Palestinian issue on the international agenda, keep to the direction of the two-state solution and the principle of “land for peace”, and facilitate resumption of peace talks on the basis of relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. China will continue to work for an early, just and durable solution to the Palestinian question.

President Xi Jinping noted that next year marked the 35th anniversary of China-Palestine relations, the two sides need to make good plans for celebrating the anniversary. The two countries signed a tourism cooperation document, actively advanced negotiations for a China-Palestine free trade agreement and successfully held the second session of the Chinese-Palestinian Joint Committee for Economic, Trade and Technical Cooperation, China has provided a large amount of vaccines and other anti-COVID supplies to Palestinian refugees, and will continue to do what it can to help Palestine develop its economy and improve people's well-being. China commends Palestine's active participation and efforts to promote the collective cooperation between China and Arab states, and will increase communication and cooperation with Palestine on advancing China-Arab relations and delivering the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative.

Xi jinping stressed that the Palestinian question bears on peace and stability in the Middle East, the historical injustices done to the Palestinian people should not be left unattended indefinitely, the legitimate rights and interests of a nation are not up for trade, and that the demand to establish an independent state shall not be denied. The international community to stay firm in its commitment to the two-state solution and the principle of “land for peace”, make resolute efforts to promote peace talks, continue to provide humanitarian and development aid to Palestine and strive for a just settlement of the Palestinian question at an early date. Recently, China welcomes the Arab countries have made important progress in promoting internal reconciliation of Palestine. China firmly supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian State with full sovereignty based on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital, supports Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations, will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestine, support it to implement livelihood construction projects, and increase its contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.