The 2nd International Symposium on China-MENA Cooperation in Beijing on August 17 Photo: Zhu Gaolei/CSST

Experts shed light on China’s cooperation with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, in terms of curbing the COVID-19 pandemic, boosting economic growth, and promoting regional security, at the 2nd International Symposium on China-MENA Cooperation in Beijing on August 17.

Cooperation against pandemic

For more than a year, the COVID-19 pandemic has flared-up repeatedly, the virus has frequently mutated, and the world economy is recovering with fragility, said Xie Fuzhan, president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

At the same time, exchanges and cooperation between China and MENA countries have continued to deepen, and friendship has been increasingly consolidated, Xie said.

China and MENA countries have helped each other amidst the pandemic, and efficiently cooperated in the fields of information sharing and vaccine research and development, setting a model of international anti-pandemic cooperation.

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was among the first foreign heads of state to hold a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping voicing support for China’s COVID-19 response back in 2020, and China and the United Arab Emirates jointly conducted the world’s first international phase three clinical trials of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines. China and Egypt have built Africa’s first joint production line for COVID-19 vaccines with a stable production capacity.

“China’s anti-pandemic cooperation with MENA countries shows that multilateral cooperation is an effective way to respond to the international public health crisis,” said Yu Guoqing, a research fellow from the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies at CASS.

Hussam Al Husseini, Jordan’s ambassador to China, suggested that China and MENA countries expand their cooperation to broader areas, such as poverty alleviation and technological innovation, on the foundation of anti-pandemic cooperation.

Economy and trade

After experiencing the economic downturn brought about by the pandemic, the world economy is recovering. Ali Al Dhaheri, UAE ambassador to China, said that China’s economic recovery not only benefits the country itself, but also contributes to the stability of the world economy, ensuring the continuity of global medical supplies.

The pandemic has made China and MENA countries more astutely aware that only by strengthening coordination and forming a joint force can the world economy achieve strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth, according to Luo Lin, dean of the School of Middle East Studies at Beijing Language and Culture University.

China’s anti-pandemic cooperation with MENA countries has facilitated new highlights in economic and trade exchanges, Luo said. In the first half of 2021, the trade volume between China and the members of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf reached 103.8 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 35.6%. Of that, China saw imports worth 63 billion US dollars, an increase of 40.2%; and exports of 40.8 billion US dollars, an increase of 29%. The trade data shows the huge potential and resilience of economic and trade cooperation between China and MENA countries.

Regional stability

Affected by the interference of major countries as well as geographic competition, the Middle East has become one of the regions with the most serious security deficits in the world.

Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud, chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Saudi Arabia, said that the current security situation in the Middle East is threatened by many external forces. It is necessary to promote multilateralism and universal security on the existing basis, while promoting the establishment of an international mechanism that generally reflects the interests of all countries and defends the common values of mankind.

He specifically mentioned that China has played an important role in the peace and stability of the Middle East by sending special envoys to mediate in Middle Eastern conflicts. He expressed his deep gratitude for this.

“As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a responsible major country, China has always been concerned about the MENA countries and people,” said Zhai Jun, special envoy of the Chinese government on the Middle East issue.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited the Middle East twice in 2021, and unveiled a China-proposed five-point initiative on achieving security and stability in the Middle East. China has also prompted the United Nations Security Council to review the Palestine issue five times, defending fairness and justice in the Middle East.

China has mediated in an effort to resolve regional conflicts and disputes, and continuously injects positive energy into promoting peace and tranquility in the region, Zhai said.

“China is a participant in Middle East security affairs and a provider of public safety goods,” said Wu Sike, China’s former special envoy on the Middle East issue. In the process of participating in Middle East security affairs, it has formed ideas and propositions with Chinese characteristics, such as actively promoting political dialogue and advocating comprehensive governance. These ideas and propositions are based on China’s Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

Friendship and innovation will be the eternal theme of China-MENA cooperation, whether it is to achieve modernization or cooperate to fight the pandemic, said CASS Vice President Wang Linggui.