A man walks in front of the logo of the fifth China-Arab States Expo in Yinchuan, Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, on Aug 16, 2021. [Photo /chinadaily.com.cn]
The sixth China-Arab States Expo will be held in Ningxia Hui autonomous region this year, welcoming participants from around the world.
China-Arab relations have entered a new era over the past decade, and Ningxia has integrated into the Belt and Road Initiative construction through the expo, opening up further to the outside world and achieving remarkable results in economic and trade cooperation with Arab countries.
In the last decade, Ningxia has successfully held five sessions of the China-Arab States Expo, with more than 6,000 domestic and foreign companies from 112 countries and regions participating. A total of 1,213 cooperation projects have been signed, covering a wide range of fields including modern agriculture, high technology, energy and chemicals, biopharmaceuticals, equipment manufacturing, infrastructure, "internet plus health" and tourism cooperation.
The expo has become an important platform for mutual exchange and cooperation between Chinese and Arab enterprises, and has effectively promoted economic and trade exchanges and cooperation between China and countries along the Belt and Road.
Ningxia's trade with Arab countries has been expanding. In 2021, the autonomous region's total trade with Arab countries reached 570 million yuan ($82.86 million), an increase of 53.4 percent year-on-year.
Egypt has become Ningxia's largest trading partner among Arab countries, with bilateral trade volume accounting for 32.3 percent of Ningxia's total trade with Arab countries.
Investment from Arab countries in Ningxia is accelerating, with 10 foreign-invested enterprises established and a total actual investment of $13.91 million. They originate from the seven countries of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Palestine, Yemen, Egypt and Libya, and are mainly in the fields of catering and accommodation, dairy processing and wholesale.
Ningxia has continued to expand its opening-up channels. International freight trains and rail-sea intermodal trains have been opened to facilitate the export of local goods such as stone, grain, fertilizer and milk from Ningxia and its surrounding regions, as well as the export of products from Central Asia and the Middle East such as flaxseed, oats, timber and iron ore.
International air routes such as Yinchuan-Dubai have also been opened to enhance international aviation connections between Ningxia and the Middle East, Europe, Africa and South America.
Ningxia will seize new opportunities for China-Arab economic and trade cooperation, give full play to the China-Arab States Expo, and host the sixth session at a high level.
It will promote the long-term development of the China-Arab strategic partnership and contribute to building a community of shared future for China and Arab countries in the new era.
