China and Arab countries on Friday set up a China-Arab states
cooperation forum and issued a declaration on the forum, Chinese
Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Secretary-General of the League of
Arab States (LAS) Amr Mahmoud Moussa announced at the LAS
headquarters in Cairo.?
Chinese President Hu Jintao, who is currently on a state visit
to Egypt, had just held a meeting with Moussa and Arab states'
representatives at the LAS, Li told a joint news conference with
Moussa.
During the meeting, they had an in-depth exchange of views on
ways of strengthening and developing China-Arab relations under new
circumstances, Li said.
China highly appreciates the efforts of Arab states and the LAS
towards the establishment of the forum, he said.
He pointed out that the establishment of the forum is the result
of joint efforts by China and Arab states and marks a milestone in
the history of friendly and cooperative relations between China and
Arab states.
The establishment of the forum will further enrich the
China-Arab relationship, help consolidate and expand mutually
beneficial cooperation in the fields of politics, trade and
economy, science and technology, culture, education and health, and
raise the level of cooperation between the two sides in an
all-around way, the Chinese foreign minister noted.
(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2004)