Chinese Ambassador Hails Qatari-Chinese Relations

Doha, July 16 (QNA) - Chinese Ambassador to Qatar Gao Youzhen has praised the growing ties between Beijing and Doha, especially in recent times, referring in this context to the visit of HE the Foreign Minister Dr. Khalid Bin Mohamed Al Attiyah to China at the beginning of last May to attend the China-Arab Forum. This came in a lecture the Chinese ambassador gave at an invitation by the Foreign Ministry's Diplomatic Institute in which he focused on his country's initiative regarding the revival of the 'Silk Road' and praised bilateral relations between Qatar and China. At the beginning of the lecture, the Chinese Ambassador pointed to the accession of the State of Qatar to the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) , as well as the State of Qatar's contribution to the construction of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), noting that Qatar has preceded many countries in contributing to this bank. The Chinese Ambassador also commended the positions of the State of Qatar in relation to the core issues of concern to China such as combating terrorism, non-interference in internal affairs, and serving the issues of third world countries. On the revival of the 'Silk Road', the Chinese Ambassador noted that it was an ancient route linking China, Central Asia and the Arab countries, and then Africa and Europe, pointing out that it played a historic role in linking China and the Arab countries. The Chinese Ambassador Doha said the Chinese President initiative to build a Silk Road economic belt, which stretches from the coastal cities in eastern China across Asian countries to the Gulf countries, stressing that this initiative aims to promote openness to West China and deepen reform and communication. He pointed out that this initiative comes in the context of China's strategies for regional development, China's foreign policies, which take a major focus of economic cooperation as well as cultural and human communication, and the principle of non-interference in internal affairs. Ambassador Youzhen also lauded the historical relations between the Arab world and China, and the importance of forming the framework of cooperation '1+2 +3 ', which includes the fields of energy, infrastructure, trade and investment facilitation, and areas of advanced technology. (QNA)