China-Arab States Expo facilitates broader cooperation between China and the Arab States

The China-Arab States Expo 2015 closed in Ningxia in September.

YINCHUAN, China, Nov. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 10,000 guests from 86 countries and regions were present at the expo. Most notably, the expo provided more room for cooperation between China and the Arab States by creating a cooperative mechanism and establishing collaborative organizations.

With the support of Chinese authorities including the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Health and Family Planning Commission and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the China-Arab States Expo 2015 served to promote the establishment of several cooperative organizations including the China-Arab States Technology Transfer Center, the China-Arab States Business Mediation Center, the China-Arab Joint Chamber of Commerce Liaison Office, the China-Arab States Agricultural Technology Transfer Center and the China-Arab States Medical and Health Cooperation and Development Alliance in Ningxia, opening up new fields for cooperation between China and the Arab States.

The China-Arab States Technology Transfer Center will accelerate China's opening up to the west by promoting the transfer and export of China's advanced technologies and equipment in sectors involving high-speed trains, aerospace communications, nuclear energy, new energy and modern agriculture to the Arab States. The China-Arab States Agricultural Technology Transfer Center plans to promote cooperation and exchanges in such fields as water-saving agriculture, modern agriculture, desertification prevention and control, pest control as well as the processing and trade of specialty agricultural products. The China-Arab States Medical and Health Cooperation and Development Alliance is set to enhance cooperation in advanced medical technology and traditional medicine, as well as strengthen talent exchange and training. The China-Arab States Business Mediation Center will assist companies in China and the Arab States in preventing commercial risks and resolving commercial disputes, further promoting cooperation on trade and investment between the two regions and establishing a mechanism whereby future bilateral commercial disputes between the two regions will be solved through joint conciliation.

Despite an overall decline in global trade, trade between China and the countries designated for closer economic ties as a result of the "one belt, one road" initiative has maintained rapid growth since the beginning of the year, with turnover forecast to exceed US$2.5 trillion. The establishment of this new group of organizations as a result of the expo are expected to create an abundance of opportunities beyond the energy sector between China and the Arab States.