Chinese city plans hub with Arab countries

City of Quanzhou, Fujian province, is planning to establish an alliance of hub cities along the new Maritime Silk Road to accelerate the win-win cooperation between China and Arab countries, a Quanzhou city government official said Tuesday.

Zheng Xincong, mayor of Quanzhou, said Chinese and Arab cities have been tied together for more than a thousand year, thanks to the Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road.

Quanzhou, a city recognized by Unesco as the starting point of the maritime road, is willing to play a pioneering role in deepening the cooperation between the cities of the two sides, Zheng said.

Zheng made the remarks at the first Chinese and Arab Cities Forum, which kicked off Tuesday in Quanzhou.

The event, which concludes Thursday, is aimed at consolidating the peaceful ties between Chinese and Arab cities.

About 200 officials and scholars from 19 member countries of the Arab League are attending the event.

The topics include building the "Silk Road Economic Belt" and "21st Century Maritime Silk Road", which were concepts put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Central Asia and Southeast Asia respectively in 2013.

Ghanim Taha Ahmed Al Shibli, an official with the Arab League, said the forum offers a new platform for Chinese and Arab cities to enhance cooperation in the economic, commercial and cultural fields in the next decade.