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China, Arab nations pledge to expand cooperation

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-05-22 09:53

The third ministerial meeting of China-Arab Cooperation Forum ended Wednesday evening and adopted a communique, an action plan for 2008 to 2010 and two cooperation documents on environment protection and investment.

The communique confirmed achievements of the forum and pledged to push forward bilateral cooperation to broader areas, especially in technology transfer, finance, infrastructure construction and environmental protection.

It called on both sides to enhance exchanges and dialogue between different cultures and civilizations, adding the two sides vowed to strengthen political consultation on major international and regional issues.

In the communique, Arab nations stressed that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and that they oppose "Taiwan independence" in any form.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, for his part, said this meeting improved and systematized some cooperation mechanism within the forum.

Both sides decided to make it a mechanism to hold art festivals alternately between China and Arab countries and set up an investment consultation mechanism, Yang said.

Yang said China and Arab countries have kept close coordination in international and regional affairs and that the two sides have witnessed increasing political mutual trust and close economic ties.

In the next two years, Syria will hold the second China-Arab Friendship Conference; Sudan will hold the second China-Arab Energy Conference; and Tunisia will hold the symposium on China- Arab civilizations, according to the 2008-2010 action plan.

The development of China-Arab relations sets a good example in current international relations and makes important contributions to world peace and stability.

The fourth ministerial meeting of the forum will be held in Beijing in 2010, the communique said.