Silk Road spirit thrives in Ningxia

Editor's note: Situated inland in Northwest China and north of the Great Wall, the Ningxia Hui autonomous region, a major Muslim area, has been striving to open up and strengthen its cultural and economic ties with the world, especially the Arab community. It will host the 2015 China-Arab States Expo from Thursday to Sunday. China Daily recently talked with Li Jianhua, the Party chief and top legislator of Ningxia, to find out more.

What do you think of the role and functions that China-Arab cooperation and exchanges play in the State's Belt and Road Initiative?

Li: There has been a long history of cooperation and exchanges between China and Arab countries. The renowned ancient Silk Road linked us together 2,000 years ago to facilitate trade and travel, as well as cultural and technological exchanges. Since the reform and opening-up, especially in the past few years, we have seen gradually deepening cooperation and closer exchanges and are witnessing great progress in economic collaboration. The value of bilateral trade has risen from $25.5 billion to $251.2 billion in the past decade, since the beginning of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum in 2004.

The Belt and Road Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping breathes new life into the ancient Silk Road. There are 22 Arab countries with over 200 million people along the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Maritime Silk Road of the 21st Century. They are our natural partners. The Arab countries also expect to pursue further development by seizing the opportunities coming along with the initiative and from China's opening-up to the west. Therefore, the joint effort of building the Belt and Road is bound to promote cooperation and exchanges on a wider scale, with a more extensive range and at a higher level, and brings mutual benefits.

What foundations has Ningxia built in China-Arab cooperation?

Li: Since the reform and opening-up, the Party committee and the government of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region have been targeting Arab countries and Muslim regions to seek a breakthrough for its opening-up and have witnessed further cooperation and exchanges between the two sides.

We have held the China-Arab States Economic and Trade Forum three times, and the China-Arab States Expo since 2010.

Besides, we have seen increasingly more trade activities. The growth of the total value of imports and exports between Ningxia and Arab countries has risen by an average of 251 percent annually in the past three years, reaching $640 million in 2014.

What's more, we have speeded up the "bringing in" and "going out" strategies. There are 58 Ningxia companies opening 74 overseas branches in 30 countries and regions around the world. Among them, 26 are in countries along the Belt and Road in Central Asia, West Asia and Africa.