Kamal Hassan Ali,the assistant secretary general for economic affairs of Arab League (AL), receives an interview with Xinhua News Agency in Cairo, on Aug. 29, 2017. The upcoming China-Arab States Expo 2017 is an opportunity to enhance bilateral trade, investment and technology exchange between China and the Arab world, said the senior AL official in a recent interview with Xinhua. (Xinhua/Meng Tao)
CAIRO, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming China-Arab States Expo 2017 is an opportunity to enhance bilateral trade, investment and technology exchange between China and the Arab world, said a senior Arab League (AL) official in a recent interview with Xinhua.
"The China-Arab States Expo is the most important and largest event to promote trade, economic and investment relations between Arab countries and China," said Kamal Hassan Ali, AL's assistant secretary general for economic affairs.
The third China-Arab States Expo will be held from Sept. 6 to 9 in Yinchuan, capital city of northwestern China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
Sponsored by China's Ministry of Commerce, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the government of Ningxia, the event will focus on the trade of commodities and services, as well as cooperation on technology, investment and tourism.
Egypt will be the guest of honor at this year's expo, which is organized every two years. A total of 321 deals on cooperation in the fields of science and technology, finance, energy, agriculture, health, tourism, culture and education were inked during the two previous events.
Ali expressed the hope that this year's expo would greatly contribute to maximizing the volume of trade and investment exchange between the two sides, stressing that it is "an important opportunity" for Arab countries to benefit from the scientific and technological progress achieved by China in various fields.
He said the expo will include 12 exhibitions and a conference on the sidelines of the main trade fair.
The expo's agenda will include discussions on cooperation in areas including high-speed railways, technology transfer and innovation, banking, agriculture, tourism, capacity building, logistics and tourism.
The Arab official said a large number of ministers and officials from Arab countries and China, heads of specialized Arab organizations as well as Arab and Chinese businessmen will participate in the expo.
Ali believed that the expo will help boost trade between the two sides, including an increase in investments in areas of interest to the Arab countries.
The AL official praised the depth and strength of the China-Arab relations, which have been witnessing great momentum and development, especially since the launch of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum in 2004."
Ali pointed out that the China-Arab relations are based on strengthening political ties on the basis of mutual respect as well as intensifying economic and trade exchanges to achieve common development.
"The relations also expand and deepen cultural communication in order to achieve mutual benefit and enhance cooperation in international affairs so to achieve and maintain world peace and push forward development efforts," he said.
On the impact of the Belt and Road Initiative on promoting China-Arab cooperation, Ali said it is one of the most important initiatives launched to enhance political, economic, social and cultural ties between China and the Arab world.
The initiative, proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which aim at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of Silk Road.
"The initiative is a strategy for the economic transformation of the Arab countries, which may create important opportunities for expanding cooperation between the two sides," Ali said.
He said the two sides, through the expo, will take measures to adopt the initiative in the areas of common interest and strengthen the bilateral ties.
On President Xi's call for solving the economic, political and security problems in the Middle East through development, Ali said that economic growth will lead to further easing of political crises and instability in the region.
The building of infrastructure projects will create more jobs for young people and increase investment in a number of pivotal projects in the Arab world, which will significantly reduce the turmoil in the region and achieve the desired economic and social development, he said.
"China can contribute significantly to the economic and social development in the Arab countries," Ali added.
