China-Arab States Expo will be Held on 5-8 Sept. in Ningxia, China

The 4th China-Arab States Expo and the 3rd China-Arab Economic Summit will be held on 5-8 September 2019 in Ningxia, China, noting that the summit will be held on 5 and 6 September 2019, according to Union of Arab Chambers.

China-Arab States Expo is an international expo at the national-level jointly sponsored by Ministry of Commerce of China, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Government of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Since 2010, three sessions of China-Arab Economic Trade Cooperation Forum and three sessions of China-Arab States Expo were held, producing broad and profound impact on the international arena.

The China-Arab States Expo is widely recognized by countries along the Belt and Road including the Arab States. In January 2016, the Chinese President Xi Jinping stated in his speech at the Arab League headquarters: “China-Arab States Expo has become an important platform for China and Arab States to jointly build the Belt and Road”.

The 4th China-Arab Expo adheresto the tenet of “Inheriting Friendship, Deepening Cooperation and Common Development”, focusing on “New Opportunities, New Futures”,  including trade and investment, Internet and more, cross-border e-commerce, infrastructure and other fields. According to the local news agency, the expo will hold forums, exhibitions and other activities to promote China-Arab cooperation in the above-mentioned areas.

During the Expo, the exhibition of “One Belt, One Road” cooperation and innovation products are to be anticipated by already more than 51 countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, India, Sri Lanka, Spain, the Czech Republic, Russia, and government agencies and business associations (including regional organizations) of the “Belt and Road” countries and regions (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan). ), and exhibitors from all over the world.

The exhibition mainly displays cultures and customs, trade and investment projects, current situation of industry, tourism resources, advanced technologies, AI manufacturing, mechanical equipments, electronic communication, green energy, port logistics, infrastructure, superior and specialty goods, etc.. The exhibition aims on innovative products and technologies, visitor experience and interaction, showcasing the innovation of countries along the “Belt and Road”, their products, lifestyle, business models, technology trends and other renlated issues.

In recent years, China-Arab economic and trade cooperation has maintained a good momentum. In 2018, bilateral trade volume between China and Afghanistan was 244.3 billion U.S. dollars, up 28% year-on-year; Chinese enterprises signed new contracts of 35.6 billion U.S. dollars in the Arab countries, up 9% year-on-year; Chinese enterprises invested 1.2 billion U.S. dollars in direct investment in energy，infrastructure, manufacturing, e-commerce and finance.

The China-Arab Expo has become an important platform for China and Arab countries to build a “Belt and Road” initiative. At present, 18 Arab countries have signed cooperation documents with China to build a “Belt and Road” cooperation document with fruitful results.

The previous China-Arab Exposnot only attracted more than 80 countries, regions and international organizations to participate, but also signed thousands of agreements, which promoted the development of the local economy, too. In the past five years, Ningxia’s import and export has grown steadily. The actual use of foreign direct investment was 1.06 billion US dollars. 148 overseas enterprises were established in 30 countries and regions. In 2018, foreign direct investment was 500 million US dollars.

It is expected that as the next step, China will further strengthen its development strategy with the Arab countries, pushingChina-Arab economic and trade cooperation to a new level. China is willing to continue to encourage Chinese enterprises and financial institutions to cooperate with the Afghan side in the fields of port, railway, electric power and communications, to expand cooperation in oilfield engineering services, refinery construction and equipment manufacturing, and to actively promote financial and high-tech cooperation.