Xiplomacy:Witheyesonsharedfuture,China,Arabworldlooktoenergizewin-wincooperation_GuangmingOnlineXiplomacy:Witheyesonsharedfuture,China,Arabworldlooktoenergizewin-wincooperationBEIJING,Dec.7(Xinhua)--InQatar'scapitalDoha,theglitteringLusailStadium,wherethestar-studded2022FIFAWorldCupisunderway,hasbecomeanewlandmarkandisfeaturedonthecountry's10-riyalbanknote.The80,000-seatstadium,jointlydesignedandbuiltbyChinaandQatar,willhosttheclosingceremonyofthegame.Onthestreetsofthehostcountry,3,000Chinese-madeeco-friendlybusesprovidegreentransportationtotheeventandagreentravelexperienceforfansfromallovertheworld.ChineseelementsintheWorldCuphavealsobroughtotherflagshipprojectsbetweenChinaandArabcountriesunderthespotlight,highlightingtheirfruitfulcooperationandlong-standingfriendship.NowtheirrelationshipisexpectedtogrowstrongerasChinesePresidentXiJinpingwillattendthefirstChina-ArabStatesSummitandtheChina-GulfCooperationCouncil(GCC)summitinRiyadh,SaudiArabia,andpayastatevisittoSaudiArabiafromDec.7to10.RICHFRUITSIn2016,Xi'svisittoSaudiArabia,mutuallybeneficialcooperationbetweenChinaandSaudiArabiahasbornerichfruits,withtwo-waytradevolumehitting87.31billionU.S.dollarsin2021,up30.1percentyearonyear.Inthebroaderregion,China'stradevolumewiththeArabstatesstoodatsome330billiondollarsin2021,ayear-on-yearincreaseof37percent.OnesuchexampleofcooperationistheYanbuAramcoSinopecRefiningCompany(YASREF)jointlyestablishedbySaudiAramcoandChinaPetrochemicalCorporation.Sinceitsinaugurationin2016,YASREFhaswitnessedtechnological,commercialandinvestmentcooperationbetweenSaudiArabiaandChinaandhasbecomeoneofthefinelyoperatedprojectsintheregion.Some1,500kmawayfromSaudiArabia'sportcityofYanbu,Egypt'sfirstelectrifiedlightrailtransit(LRT)system,co-builtbyChineseandEgyptiancompanies,hasbeenrunningforalmosthalfayearinCairo.TheLRTis"anucleusforfurtherEgyptian-ChineseprojectsinthetransportationindustryandthelocalizationoftransportationtechnologyinEgypt,"saidHassanMahdy,professoroftransportandroadsatCairo-basedAinShamsUniversity.Theseprojects,asexamplesofChina-ArabcooperationundertheBeltandRoadInitiative(BRI),are"importantpaths"fortheArabcountriestoachievetheirdevelopmentobjectives,saidNasserAbdel-Aal,professorofChineselanguageandvicedeanoftheFacultyofAl-Alsun(Languages)atAinShamsUniversity."ItisimportantthatChinaprovidesitsexpertiseindevelopinginfrastructureintheArabworldinportsandinternationaltransportationthatconnectstheArabregionwiththeworld,whichwillhelpmaketheArabregionrestoreitsstatusasaconnectionbetweenAsia,EuropeandAfrica,"saidSamerKhairAhmed,aJordanianwriterandexpertonArab-Chinarelations.Todate,ChinahassignedBRIcooperationagreementswith20ArabstatesandtheArabLeague(AL).Thetwosideshavecarriedoutmorethan200large-scalecooperationprojectsinenergy,infrastructureandotherfields,benefitingnearly2billionpeopleonbothsides.TohelpArabcountriesfighttheCOVID-19pandemic,Chinahassentmedicalexpertsandvaccinestoandsharedclinicalexperienceswiththoseindireneed.InEgypt,AlgeriaandtheUnitedArabEmirates,Chinahashelpedlocalizevaccineproductiontomeettherisinglocaldemand."ChinaiswillingtoworkwithArabcountriestoenhancemutualsupportandexpandcooperationinajointefforttobuildaChina-Arabcommunitywithasharedfutureforthenewera,soastocreateabrightfutureforChina-Arabrelationsandmakecontributionstoworldpeaceanddevelopment,"Xisaidinacongratulatorymessageonthe31stArabLeagueSummitonNov.1.EXPANDEDCOOPERATIONInIraq'sMesopotamia,desertificationandsoilsalinizationhavelongthreatenedtoburythiscradleofoneofhumanity'searliestcivilizationsindust."MydreamistotransferwhatIlearnedfromChinatoIraqandturndesertsintooases,"saidSarmadKamilAli,deputychiefagriculturalengineerofIraq'sStateBoardofCombatingDesertification,whowasinChinain2013tolearnaboutsandcontrol.Inthepastdecade,PresidentXiJinpinghasledChina'sgreendevelopment.Impressiveprogresshasbeenmade.Chinaranksfirstgloballyintheareaofplantedforestsandforestcoveragegrowth,contributingaquarteroftheworld'snewforestareainthepast10years.ThecountryhasbeencommittedtoitsclimategoalsandcarriedoutprojectsofcooperationwithArabcounterpartstosynergizetheirdevelopmentstrategiestothisend.Inthefieldofnewenergy,ChinahasexpandedcooperationwithArabcountriesinsolarenergy,windenergyandhydropower,settingupaChina-Arabcleanenergytrainingcenter,theChinese-EgyptianRenewableEnergyLaboratory,andimplementedcooperationprojectssuchasthe800MWAlKharsaahSolarPowerPlantinQatarandthe186MWsolarpowerstationsattheBenbanSolarEnergyParkinEgypt.TheChinesesidesupportsSaudiArabia'sGreenMiddleEastinitiativeandwelcomesSaudiArabia'sparticipationintheGlobalDevelopmentInitiative(GDI),XisaidinaphonesconversationwithSaudiArabia'sCrownPrinceMohammedbinSalmanAlSaudinApril.TheGDIgivesChinaanditspartnersaplatformforachievingtheirdevelopmentobjectivesinlightoftheUN's2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment,saidNasserAbdel-Aal,professorofEgypt'sAinShamsUniversity.Xi,whilepresidingovertheHigh-levelDialogueonGlobalDevelopmentinJune,announcedsome30importantmeasurestakenbyChinatoimplementtheGDI,furtherpushingforwardtheimplementationofthe2030Agenda."TheChineseinitiativesarecharacterizedbyneutrality,objectivityandrespectforthedomesticconditionsofdevelopingstates,focusingonelevatingthepeople'sstandardofliving,whichiswhytheyaregreatlywelcomedbydevelopingcountries,"saidAhmedKandil,anEgyptianexpertandheadoftheInternationalStudiesUnitatAl-AhramCenterforPoliticalandStrategicStudies.BythisOctober,morethan100countries,including17Arabstates,andinternationalorganizationshavevoicedsupportfortheGDI,andover60countries,including12Arabstates,havejoinedtheGroupofFriendsoftheGDI.PEACEANDDEVELOPMENTForyears,ChinaandArabnationshavetreatedeachotherwithsincerity,stoodshouldertoshoulderinthefightfornationalindependence,andhelpedeachotheronthepathofmodernization.Theycherishmorethaneverpeaceandsecurityasaprerequisitefordevelopment.WhileChinaisembarkingonanewjourneytotransformitselfintoagreatmodernsocialistcountryinallrespects,itstayscommittedtosharinggrowthopportunitieswithothercountries,especiallyArabcountriesindireneedofdevelopment,securityandstability.Thekeytotacklingthornyproblemsistoacceleratedevelopment,XisaidinhisspeechattheALheadquartersin2016,stressingthatChinaandtheArabcountriesshouldstrengthencooperationandtogetherstriveforpeaceanddevelopmentofmankind.InacongratulatorymessagetoAlgerianPresidentAbdelmadjidTebboune,therotatingpresidentoftheCounciloftheAL,ontheconveningofthe31stALSummitinAlgierslastmonth,XisaidthattheAL,committedtoseekingstrengththroughunityintheArabworld,hasbeenactivelyadvancingpeaceandstabilityintheMiddleEastandmakingunremittingeffortstosafeguardmultilateralismandthecommoninterestsofdevelopingcountries.ExpertsbelievethatChina'sroleanditsexperienceinself-developmentincludingindustrializationandmodernizationareparticularlyneededinthereconstructionofcrisis-torncountriessuchasSyria,Libya,Iraq,YemenandLebanon.TheArabstates,whichhavesufferedfromimperialismthathinderedtheirdevelopmentprocessinspiteoftheavailabilityofresources,wanttoshowthattheyhaveindependentpoliticalpathsdevoidofages-oldexternalinfluence,andwanttogenuinelyexpandtheireconomiccooperationwithmajorcountries,suchasChina,Ahmed,theJordanianexpert,said."ThisisahistoricopportunityfortheArabs,andtheyneedtoseizeit,"hesaid.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.