Media, think tanks urged to contribute to China-Arab community with shared future

BEIJING, Dec. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China.org.cn on the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future and the responsibilities of media and think tanks:

More than 50 experts and scholars called for media and think tanks to contribute to the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future at an online seminar on Dec. 15.

The seminar was hosted by China International Communications Group (CICG) and jointly organized by its Center for Europe and Africa, China.org.cn, and Egypt's Bayt Al-Hekma Cultural Group. 

Gao Anming, vice president of CICG, said via video link that the first China-Arab States Summit and the first China-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit recently held in Riyadh represent an epoch-making milestone in the history of China-Arab relations.

Gao said that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aligns with the development vision and future plans of many Arab countries. The all-round, multi-tiered and wide-ranging practical cooperation between China and Arab countries has been accelerated and upgraded under the framework of the BRI. 

Gao noted that as China-Arab relations enter a new historical stage, the two sides should adopt a higher historical perspective and a broader global vision, further leverage their advantages, map out more precise, efficient and practical paths for media and think tank exchanges and cooperation, build more platforms for cooperation and exchange, and promote mutual visits and dialogue.

Gao urged the two sides to continue to increase the frequency, scale and level of exchanges, strengthen discussions and exchanges on common topics, and make joint contributions to the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future oriented to the new era through close cooperation between media and think tanks.

Ahmed Al-Saeed, CEO of Bayt Al-Hekma Cultural Group, pointed out that China-Arab friendship and cultural exchanges date back to ancient times, with historical relations always being based on mutual respect. As the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, it is necessary for China and Arab countries to continue friendship and enhance cooperation. China has set an example for Arab countries to explore their own development path, and China also needs the support of Arab countries, he said. 

He added that think tanks and media will play a positive role in the development of China-Arab relations, consolidate mutual trust, and promote the transition from a unipolar stage to a multipolar one in a turbulent world, so as to create a future of unity rather than division.

Wu Sike, former Chinese representative to the League of Arab States and former Chinese special envoy to the Middle East, pointed out that media exchanges are an important way to promote mutual understanding between the peoples of China and Arab countries and an important bond for boosting people-to-people ties. 

In the face of profound and complex changes in the international and regional situation, Chinese and Arab media should adhere to the concepts of mutual respect, exchanges and mutual learning, solidarity and mutual assistance, understand and support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, strengthen solidarity and cooperation on international and regional issues, practice multilateralism in the true sense, and uphold international fairness and justice and the common interests of developing countries, he said.

Experts at the meeting agreed that over the past years, China-Arab relations have made great progress in various fields, but there remains a certain information deficit. In the process of building a China-Arab community with a shared future oriented to the new era, media and think tanks of the two sides should consciously undertake the mission and responsibility of promoting China-Arab communication and exchanges, and use their respective strengths to advance people-to-people exchanges between China and Arab countries. 

They added that media and think tanks should jointly amplify their voices to the outside world, break the distortion and smearing of China-Arab cooperation by the United States and other Western powers, remove the path of dependence on Western studies and the dualistic narrative mode, introduce the real situation of China-Arab cooperation to the world, and give a strong voice for China and the Middle East to the international public, and jointly safeguard the image and interests of developing countries to create a favorable international public opinion environment for China-Arab friendly exchanges and common development. 

They concurred that media and think tanks should strengthen exchanges and cooperation, increase mutual visits and dialogue, build more platforms for cooperation and exchanges, and pool and leverage their strength.

Based on the consensus reached among the event's attendees, Hu Baomin, director of the Center for Europe and Africa, delivered a closing speech for the seminar. He said he hoped that both sides can take the seminar as a new starting point to advance people-to-people exchanges between China and Arab states, and make their due contributions to the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future, the common good of the two peoples, and the future development of China-Arab relations.

Media, think tanks urged to contribute to China-Arab community with shared future

http://www.china.org.cn/world/2022-12/19/content_85018362.htm 

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