Development key to solving Mideast problems: Chinese diplomat

Development is the key to resolving most Middle East problems, especially terrorism, Li Chengwen, Chinese ambassador to the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF), told Xinhua.

The newly appointed ambassador held talks with top Arab League (AL) officials in Cairo on Tuesday, aiming at activating more Chinese-Arab cooperation at all levels after Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit in January.

During the president's first official visit to the Middle East region, Xi delivered a speech at the AL headquarters in Cairo, urging the region to resolve their differences through dialogue and tackle the thorny issues through development.

"As President Xi has pointed out, development is the ultimate answer to many problems and difficulties in this region," Li said.

"The root of the problems in the Middle East lies in development and the only solution is also development," said Li, China's former ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Sudan.

Li said that no country could make economic growth without development, which in turn reduces the unemployment rate that hits 60 percent of the population in some Arab countries.

"Development is the only way for raising the people's standard of living and expanding cooperation among countries," he said, adding that China will make all efforts to promote its cooperation with Arab states under the CASCF mechanism.

The CASCF was initiated in the opening years of the new millennium, after China-Arab friendship and cooperation witnessed a steady growth that led to its formal formation in 2004 by China and the AL, whose 22 members had already established diplomatic relations with China.

Since then, the forum has become a key mechanism for both China and the Arab world to improve their mutual-understanding and cooperation in all fields.

"We seek to promote the structure of China-Arab cooperation though the forum," Li said.

The Chinese diplomat cited that the Arab states are China's biggest economic partners with a volume of trade that exceeds 250 billion U.S. dollars every year, adding that there are over 100 flights every day between the two sides, carrying more than 2,000 passengers.

"China will continue to expand the CASCF mechanism based on our mutual political trust and promote the all-around friendship and cooperation," the ambassador added.

Regarding China's role in the Middle East region, Li said China is always willing to help the region to achieve peace and instability and overcome deep-rooted problems, as the region has been plagued with troubles over the past hundreds of years.

"The Middle East always takes special weight in China's diplomacy," Li said, stressing that with the Belt and Road Initiative, China could offer the region with development-based ways out of its crises. Endit