New York, 20 September 2022 (TDI): The State of Qatar, on Tuesday, participated in the Joint meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and the People’s Republic of China.
Foreign Minister for Regional Affairs of Qatar, Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi represented the State of Qatar at the meeting.
Qatar Participates in Joint Ministerial Meeting between GCC Countries, China
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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) September 20, 2022
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Foreign Minister for Regional Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi, at the meeting, stressed the importance of strengthening the existing relations between the GCC countries and the People’s Republic of China in various fields.
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Moreover, he emphasized that the meeting provided a great opportunity to exchange thoughts and initiate dialogue on the relationship between the GCC countries and the People’s republic of China.
He further added that the meeting provided an opportunity to consolidate existing ties between the two parties and come up with a common vision that works to achieve common interests and goals between the two sides.
The Assistant Foreign Minister of Qatar in his speech said, “The State of Qatar is looking forward with a sincere desire to develop and strengthen these relations and diversify their fields in order to achieve cooperation and rapprochement at all levels.”
In addition, he emphasized that “Qatar will provide all support to move relations forward for the benefit of governments and peoples.”
Highlighting the Economic and Commercial Cooperation between the two sides, the Assistant Foreign Minister underlined the importance of Qatar’s ambition of contributing to deepening, strengthening, and developing relations of common interest.
Moreover, the Assistant Foreign Minister expressed Qatar’s aspiration for the continuity and sustainability of these meetings. He also expressed his keenness to discuss cooperation and friendly relations in all fields.
China-GCC Relations
The People’s Republic of China and the GCC states enjoy good relations in nearly all fields. Saudi Arabia provided 17 percent of China’s oil imports in 2021, making it the latter’s top crude oil supplier.
Qatar, a major natural gas exporter to China, signed several long-term contracts with Chinese firms in December 2021. China also plays a significant role in the continued growth of the GCC’s non-oil industries.
The Gulf countries’ position on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has typically been centered on regional partners, building projects, and energy, in addition to being essential nexus locations for commerce in emerging countries.
With COVID-19 Pandemic, the Gulf States are more enthusiastic about approaching a more technologically centered partnership with regional actors.
The Gulf states are also foreseeing having a good relationship with China in development areas like tourism, telecommunications, renewable energy, smart cities, artificial intelligence, and technology-oriented businesses.
