Foreign ministers from China and 22 Arab nations pledged Friday to develop strategic cooperation in economic, technological and other fields, thus upgrading their partnership which pursues common prosperity, a better future and a fairer global order. The two sides also adopted a communique and an action plan wrapping up the two-day 4th Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum held in China's northern port city of Tianjin. The meeting, which set an example for better cooperation among developing countries, also reaffirmed a common aspiration for strategic cooperation between China and the Arab world. It also identified a huge potential for economic cooperation and profound cultural exchanges, and for the laying of a solid foundation for long-term cooperation. “We regard it as a common ish shared by both China and the Arab nations to establish strategic partnership of all-round cooperation and common development,” China and the Arab League said in a joint statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry after a two-day meeting in the city of Tianjin, 100 kilometres south-east of Beijing.An action plan for 2010-2012 focussed on cooperation in fields including the economy, technology, education and the media. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi was quoted as saying the China-Arab Forum Thursday and Friday was a “milestone” in relations between the two sides. “We call on all countries to join hands to advance international cooperation on security and to peacefully resolve international disputes and regional conflicts through political and diplomatic channels,” the statement said. It said both sides “oppose terrorism, separatism and extremism in all forms and oppose the linking of terrorism to a certain ethnic group or religion.” Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Thursday China wanted to increase exports of high-technology machinery and electronic products to Arab nations. China would continue to encourage investment in Arab states and promote cooperation in infrastructure construction and oil and gas projects, Wen said. The meeting was co-chaired by Yang, Libyan Foreign Minister Mousa Kousa and Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa. The next ministerial meeting is scheduled for Tunisia in 2012. Bilateral trade between China and the 22 Arab nations was valued at $107.4 billion last year, according to Chinese statistics.
