China vows to deepen multilateral ties with Arab states

The 6th Ministerial Level talks of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum will be held in Beijing on June 5th. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Forum. China has vowed to continue to strengthen cooperation, share opportunities, and face challenges with Arab countries.

In an article in the People's Daily, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said it has become an important "brand" in promoting China - Arab relations, which have strong communication and cooperation mechanisms in various fields.

Wang said China has become the second largest trading partner of Arab States. Trade has surged from some 25 billion US dollar to nearly 240 billion US dollar in the past 10 years. Wang also said Arab countries are China's most important energy providers, and both side share interests in finance, aerospace and new energy.

The two sides have boosted mutual cooperation through tourism, people to people exchanges and education. Wang says over 20 universities in China have Arabic-related majors and over 10 thousand Arab students now study in China .

Wang said a series of agreements are expected to be made. These will help build the blueprint for future forums, and China-Arab States relations, over the next decade.