Several accords signed during Xi’s whirlwind trip to Middle East, Africa
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PRESIDENT Xi Jinping returned to Beijing yesterday after a 11-day trip to the Middle East and Africa.
Xi paid state visits to the United Arab Emirates, Senegal, Rwanda and South Africa.
During his stay in South Africa, Xi attended the 10th BRICS summit in Johannesburg. He also paid a friendly visit to Mauritius on Friday during a stopover on his way back to Beijing.
Xi thanked the Mauritian side for its warm reception and thoughtful arrangements. He said the friendly visit to Mauritius has been a successful conclusion to his trip to Asia and Africa.
Although the visit to Mauritius was brief, the results were fruitful and significant, which will surely consolidate and strengthen the friendly ties between China and Mauritius, said Xi.
Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth congratulated Xi on the success of his visit to Mauritius. He thanked China for its long-term assistance and support to Mauritius and looked forward to meeting Xi again during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in September.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Xi’s visit opens new prospect for the South-South cooperation and promotes the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Xi’s visit to the UAE brings bilateral ties to a higher level, Wang said. It is Xi’s first visit to the UAE, and the first by a Chinese head of state in 29 years to the Arab state.
During the visit, the two countries issued a joint statement on establishing a comprehensive strategic partnership, which provides political guidance and overall plans for the bilateral relations in the next stage.
They signed a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative, and decided to dovetail development strategies and strengthen communication on industrial policies.
China and the UAE will accelerate the establishment of the first Belt and Road international exchange in Abu Dhabi, which will provide financial services to the construction of Belt and Road in the Middle East and the Gulf region.
Earlier this month, Beijing hosted the eighth ministerial conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, at which China and Arab countries agreed to establish a “future-oriented strategic partnership of comprehensive cooperation and common development.”
Xi told the conference that China is willing to join hands with Arab states to build the Belt and Road, and to build a community with a shared future for China and Arab countries.
Xi’s UAE visit is a successful roadshow of China’s policy toward Arab states, Wang said.
Xi has attached great importance to China-Africa relations. He chose Africa as the destination of his first foreign visit both after he was first elected Chinese president in 2013 and after his re-election this year.
During his African tour, Xi emphasized that it is China’s long-term and firm strategic choice to develop ties with African countries.
No matter how the international situation changes, China will continue to uphold its African policy and concept of sincerity, concrete results, affinity and good faith, uphold justice, pursue shared interests, and promote the construction of a closer China-Africa community with a shared future, so as to realize win-win cooperation and common development, Xi said.
During the visit, China and the four African nations have agreed to strengthen the alignment of development strategies, further tap their economic complementaries and expand cooperation.
Another achievement is the signing of cooperation documents regarding the Belt and Road Initiative. Senegal and Rwanda respectively signed memorandums of understanding with China on the initiative, and Mauritius reached agreement with China to sign the cooperation accord on the initiative at an early date.
During his visit, Xi and his African hosts have seen the signing of some 40 cooperation documents, he added.
Xi also attended the 10th BRICS summit in Johannesburg, which opened up the second “Golden Decade” for BRICS cooperation.
At the BRICS Business Forum, Xi said the next decade will be a crucial one in which new global growth drivers will take the place of old ones, seeing faster changes in the international landscape and the international alignment of forces, and witnessing a profound reshaping of the global governance system.
Xi also called for building an open economy, rejecting unilateralism and protectionism, boosting international exchanges and cooperation in innovation, easing the impact of application of information technology, automation and smart technology on traditional industries, as well as pursuing inclusive growth to deliver benefits to all countries.
“A trade war should be rejected, because there will be no winner. Economic hegemony is even more objectionable, as it will undermine the collective interests of the international community; those who pursue this course will only end up hurting themselves,” Xi said, in response to the rising unilateralism and trade protectionism.
The Johannesburg summit has yielded fruitful outcomes, with the BRICS countries confirming to forge a partnership on the new industrial revolution.
The establishment of such a partnership will become a flagship project that will push forward cooperation among the BRICS countries, Wang said.
The Johannesburg Declaration voiced the bloc’s determination to pursue common development, preserve equity and justice, stick to multilateralism and improve global governance, injecting positive energy to the world amid great uncertainties, he said.
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