Abu Dhabi (Etihad)
Experts, researchers and academics have confirmed the depth of historical and cultural relations between the Arab Gulf states and China, noting that they are witnessing remarkable growth and constitute an example of international cooperation based on the foundations of mutual respect and common benefit.
This came in a panel discussion organized by the Trends Center for Research and Consultation, in cooperation with the Chinese International Media Group, in the presence of His Excellency Hussein Ibrahim Al Hammadi, the UAE Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, and the participation of an elite group of experts and officials from both sides.
The panel discussion was organized as part of the activities of the second day of Trends’ participation in the “Beijing International Book Fair 2024” in the Chinese capital.
The episode witnessed rich discussions among the participants about various areas of cooperation between China and the Arab Gulf states, where the importance of strengthening cooperation between the two sides was stressed, in a way that serves common interests and achieves sustainable development for both parties.
Researchers, experts and academics added in the panel discussion, which was held at the Beijing International Book Fair Events Center, that cultural relations between China and the Arab Gulf states go back centuries, and include a wide range of sectors, starting from energy and investment, all the way to infrastructure, technology, culture and innovation. Stressing at the same time the importance of making more efforts in the field of culture and in terms of exchange between the media and Gulf and Chinese think tanks to keep pace with the depth of these relations.
The speakers called for enhancing communication and cooperation between universities in China and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, exploring new horizons for cooperation in the field of education, taking advantage of information technology to enhance cooperation between Chinese and Arab think tanks, and advancing cultural exchange between the two countries.
The speakers also stressed the depth of relations between the United Arab Emirates and China, noting that “mutual respect and common interests” are the foundation of this established relationship.
Developed relationships
The activities of the seminar, entitled “China and the Arab Gulf States: Consolidating Relationships of Cooperation and Partnership,” began with an opening speech by Dr. Muhammad Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of the Trends Center for Research and Consulting, in which he welcomed the participants in the heart of the Beijing International Book Fair, stressing the importance of historical and cultural relations. Between China and the Arab Gulf states, he said that cooperation between the two sides has witnessed remarkable growth over the past decades, and that its fields include a wide spectrum of sectors.
Dr. Al-Ali pointed out that cooperation in the field of energy remains the cornerstone of the relations between the two countries, as the Arab Gulf states are a major supplier of energy in securing China’s needs, indicating in this regard the importance of trade and investment in strengthening relations between the two sides, pointing out that China has become, over the past years, One of the most important trading partners for countries in the region.
Dr. Al-Ali noted China’s role in developing infrastructure in the Arab Gulf states, stressing the importance of continuing to work together to develop modern and sustainable infrastructure projects, pointing out the importance of technological progress and digital transformation in enhancing cooperation between China and the Arab Gulf states, calling for strengthening cooperation in the field of research. Development, technology transfer, and building innovation systems.
The CEO of Trends touched on the center’s great interest in Chinese affairs, given China’s status as a major rising international power and its pivotal role in the global economy. He said that he pays special attention to studying and analyzing various aspects of relations between China and the Arab world, especially the Arab Gulf states.
Dr. Al-Ali noted that “Trends” organized many seminars, conferences and scientific events that dealt with Chinese-Arab relations, noting that this discussion circle is an extension of this constructive scientific dialogue with the center’s partners in China, stressing the commitment of the Trends Center to strengthen cooperation with various Chinese research and intellectual institutions. Supporting dialogue and understanding between China and the Arab world.
Collaboration with Trends
For his part, Yu Tao, Vice President of the Chinese International Media Group, stressed the Chinese Media Group’s interest in developing relations with Arab countries in various fields, including culture, education, think tanks and media.
He pointed out that the group annually publishes more than 3,000 book titles in more than 40 languages, and edits 36 magazines in 14 languages, in addition to books and periodicals that are distributed in more than 180 countries and regions around the world.
Yu Tao stressed the group’s keenness to cooperate with the Trends Research and Consultation Center to organize more cultural activities and enhance cooperation between China, the United Arab Emirates, and the Arab Gulf states.
Shaping a promising future
At the beginning of the discussion session, Fahd Al Mahri, principal researcher and head of the Trends Dubai sector, explained that the symposium seeks to explore and strengthen the multifaceted ties that bring together China and the Arab Gulf countries, in an attempt to formulate an optimistic vision for a promising future of joint cooperation.
He said that the partnership between China and the Arab Gulf states is clear evidence of the common awareness of the importance of cooperation between the two sides, especially in the economic, trade and cultural fields.
Rawda Al Marzouqi stressed that cultural cooperation between the Gulf and China plays an important role in enhancing mutual understanding between the two peoples, and contributes to creating new opportunities for cooperation in various fields. She called for strengthening this cooperation through more joint initiatives and events, stressing the importance of the role of the private sector in this. field, stressing also Trends’ commitment to supporting this cooperation through its various initiatives and programmes.
Explore new horizons
In turn, Dr. Chen Jing, Professor of the College of Middle Eastern Studies at Beijing Language and Culture University, pointed out, in her intervention at the seminar, the university’s full commitment to supporting and strengthening cooperation between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, especially in the field of teaching the Arabic language.
She stressed the importance of the Arabic language as a bridge for communication and cultural understanding between the two countries, noting that Beijing Language University has an integrated training system that includes bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in the Arabic language, making it the largest university in China in terms of training graduate students in this field.
She also explained that the university has launched many initiatives to promote Arabic language education in China, as well as the “One Hundred Schools” project, which aims to introduce Chinese language education in one hundred primary and secondary schools in the United Arab Emirates.
The university also organizes student and professor exchange programs between China and Arab countries, and offers scholarships to students wishing to study the Arabic language in China.
In her intervention in the discussion panel, Li Ying, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Arabic Edition of China Today magazine, touched on the role of the media in promoting the Chinese-Gulf dialogue, and said that it plays an important role in conveying and clarifying the true picture of the situation on the Chinese and Gulf sides in the region. All political, economic, cultural, scientific and technological fields, which contribute to shaping public opinion trends and enhancing common understanding between the two sides. The Chinese and Gulf media are also a bridge that enhances each side’s knowledge and understanding of the other.
Li Ying stated that the Chinese and Gulf media deepen the civilizational and cultural exchange between China and the Arab countries in the publishing process, which strengthens the ties between the Chinese and Arab peoples.
Culture and promoting understanding
Researcher Rawda Al Marzouqi, Director of the Distribution and Exhibitions Department at Trends, spoke in a working paper entitled “Manifestations of Cultural Cooperation between the Gulf and China: A Bridge for Communication and Knowledge Exchange” about the multiple aspects of cooperation between the two regions, noting that the cultural relations between them go back centuries, and witness A remarkable growth, and this was evident in many joint initiatives and events, including cultural and artistic festivals, and education, where the Chinese language was included in the national education curricula in some Gulf countries, while China established “Confucius Institutes” to teach the Chinese language in other countries. As well as the field of scientific research, with increasing cooperation between researchers in the Gulf and China in various scientific fields and media exchange, pointing out that the Arabic CCTV channel broadcasts 24 hours a day, and there are many websites and newspapers that publish in Arabic and Chinese, in addition to initiatives. Government, as China signed cultural cooperation agreements with all Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and also issued the “China Policy Document with Arab Countries” in 2016 to develop cultural exchanges.
40 years of partnership
Abdulaziz Al Shehhi, principal researcher at Trends, explained that the relations between the United Arab Emirates and the People’s Republic of China have witnessed, over the past four decades, a strong building of bilateral cooperation, noting that mutual respect and common interests are the basis of this established relationship.
He said that these factors contributed to creating a successful political and economic environment that enabled the strengthening of cooperation in various fields, as cooperation between the UAE and China was not limited to the economic field only, but also extended to include other vital fields, such as education, health care, and the research field.
Al Shehhi stressed that this established partnership is a clear example of the prosperous bilateral relations that the United Arab Emirates seeks to build with various countries around the world, based on its belief in the importance of international cooperation to achieve sustainable development and common prosperity.
He touched on some aspects of this established relationship, noting that the UAE is China’s second largest trading partner, as the volume of trade exchange between the two countries reached 95 billion US dollars in 2023, and it is targeted to reach 200 billion dollars in 2030.
The researcher added that the Belt and Road Initiative has strengthened cooperation between the two countries in the fields of infrastructure, communication and economic cooperation. Cultural exchange has also witnessed a significant increase in the number of Chinese tourists visiting the Emirates, and cooperation has also been strengthened in the fields of education and cultural exchange.
Broad cooperation prospects
The discussion session concluded by stopping at the fifth axis on the prospects for economic and trade cooperation between China and the Arab Gulf states, where Dr. Mei Ji Zhao, Director of the Faculty of Arabic Language at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, confirmed that with the continued strengthening of the “Belt and Road” initiative, economic and trade cooperation between China and the Gulf countries are becoming closer and closer.
He said that the volume of trade between China and the Arab Gulf states has increased rapidly, and in 2022 the Gulf states became the seventh largest trading partner of China, and since 2018 China has become the largest trading partner of the Gulf states, indicating that the two sides are seeking to develop trade prospects between them.
He said that there is a keenness on the part of China and the Gulf countries to continue cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, and to work to enhance the construction of the economic and trade cooperation mechanism and deepen bilateral cooperation between the two sides, stressing that the prospects are broad, especially in areas such as renewable energy, financial markets, tourism and the digital economy.
He pointed out that China is one of the most important importers of energy from the Gulf countries, while the Gulf Cooperation Council countries are interested in developing clean energy, which creates many opportunities for closer relations.
He also pointed to areas of cooperation in financial markets, tourism, and the digital economy, in addition to the areas of medical treatment, robotics, and greening the desert, noting that they constitute great opportunities for cooperation between China and the Gulf countries.
#Experts #confirm #depth #GulfChinese #relations