Minister Al-Mikdad underlines necessity of opening new horizons between Arab countries and China to boost cooperation

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Faisal Al-Mikdad headed a delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to participate in the 10th session of the Arab-Chinese Ministerial Meeting, which was held in the capital, Beijing, from May 28 to May 30.

In a speech he delivered at the meeting, Minister Al-Mikdad stressed that choosing cooperation as a title for Chinese-Arab relations opens great horizons between our countries to a broader field, in which all of our countries become an essential party seeking to deepen civilizational and cultural ties between the world parties in an unprecedented way. He indicated that the important visit that President Bashar Al-Assad paid to China several months ago was an opportunity to consolidate relations between our two countries in all fields.

Al-Mikdad pointed out that the political and economic partnership between the Arab countries and the People’s Republic of China stems essentially from the fact that people in both regions seek to improve living conditions and raise the level of development and means of prosperity therein.

He stressed the necessity of building bridges of cooperation and trust on the basis of respect and friendship, which is the ideal standard for developing economy of countries.

Al-Mikdad noted that settling crises and confronting common challenges is the only way to return to political and economic stability based on the choice of the free, independent people of their own free will. The success of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum will be an example to the rest of the countries of the world, to put things right and achieve job opportunities for every citizen in the world.

Al-Mikdad confirmed that the real international community is all the people who aspire to liberate their economies from the artificial restrictions and coercive measures imposed based on fabricated lies to subject the people to the external decisions.

Al-Mikdad touched on what Syria was subjected to, including the most brutal terrorist campaign the people had ever known, and the Syrian people’s steadfastness and unity in confronting the criminal terrorist operations that wreaked havoc, killed and destroyed in Syria. He pointed out that this terrorist campaign did not succeed in dissuading Syria and its people from its principles and sovereignty over its land, and the Syrian position was correct and sound and played pivotal role in defeating terrorist groups through reconciliations and settlements that returned the situation to harmony and stability.

Minister Al-Mikdad said that Syria stood against the policies of intervention and selectivity, because they increased the tension in relations between countries. This was evident in the Arab region, which witnessed the worst form of occupation and colonialism in history, which is the Zionist entity’s occupation of Arab lands, the displacement of the owners of the land, and the demolition of their homes.

Al-Mikdad added that the Zionist entity is practicing in our region a policy of state terrorism against the Arab people in Palestine and the occupied Syrian Golan, and it is receiving financial and moral support from some countries under false pretexts that have become known to the international community.

Al-Mikdad saw in his speech that there is an international awakening towards “Israel”, highlighting the increase in the political boycott and international protests against the Zionist entity, the most prominent of which is in western countries and the recognition of the rights of the Palestinian people.

Minister Al-Mikdad noted China’s positions in support of Arab rights, which deserve appreciation in the face of the silence of Western countries known for their support for the continuation of the occupation. He expressed Syria’s high appreciation for the initiatives presented by President Xi Jinping in recent years, and Syria expressed its support for all of them.

Al-Mikdad reiterated Syria’s affirmation of China’s historical right to its territorial integrity, and the return of Taiwan to Chinese sovereignty, no matter how long it takes, stressing that Syria only recognizes one China, and supports its efforts to confront attempts at external interference in its internal affairs, whether in Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Xinjiang.

Al-Mikdad stressed that China’s role as a great power and a responsible member of the Security Council, keen on international peace and security, raises the importance of cooperation with it to be a global pillar that pushes our Arab people towards peace, development and stability, pointing to the necessity of opening new horizons that raise the level of cooperation between our Arab countries and China.

At the conclusion of its work, the Forum adopted three documents: the Beijing Declaration, which stressed the necessity of preserving the sovereignty, unity, stability and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, rejecting foreign interference and any illegal military presence on its lands, and demanded an end to Israeli attacks on Syrian lands. It also affirmed standing by its side in combating terrorism and exercising its right to defend its lands and people and support its efforts.

The joint statement between China and the Arab countries on the Palestinian issue also condemned the continued Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza, and called on the Security Council to adopt a binding resolution for an immediate, comprehensive and permanent ceasefire, stop the forced displacement of the Palestinian people and ensure the access of relief aid to Gaza Strip.

The statement also affirmed that peace, security and stability in the region will not be achieved except by ending the occupation of the land of the State of Palestine, the occupied Syrian Golan, and the occupied Lebanese territories, and implementing the relevant international resolutions.

The joint statement condemned the continuation of the Israeli occupation government in its settlement plans aimed at changing the existing historical and legal situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and in the occupied Syrian Golan.

Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the forum in the presence of a number of leaders of Arab countries, and gave a speech in which he stressed the Arab-Chinese community’s building of a common future towards a new era. He considered that the changes the world is witnessing impose themselves on the two sides to cooperate to achieve the aspirations of their people towards a new future. He considered this cooperation as a model for maintaining peace and stability in the world as it is based on fairness and the principles of international legitimacy. He also enumerated aspects of cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, which is based on innovation, investment, financial and economic cooperation, in the field of energy and communication between people. He indicated that China will host the Arab-Chinese summit in 2026.

Inas Abdulkareem