Sino-Jordanian relations see significant progress, says Chinese ambassador

AMMAN — The China-Arab States Summit will inject fresh impetus into Sino-Arab and Sino-Jordanian relations, lifting cooperation to new heights, said Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Chen Chuandong on Wednesday.

The ambassador’s statements came during a meeting with media representatives at the Chinese embassy in Amman. The meeting served as a response to the first Arab-Chinese Summit.

The summit was hosted by Saudi Arabia this December, and covered means of bolstering relations across various sectors between participating states. The summit also explored mechanisms for strengthening economic and development cooperation.

“This summit is historic in a sense that it is the highest level of diplomatic action China has initiated to all states of the Arab world,” the ambassador said. In addition, the event is significant for bringing to the forefront the eight joint initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping during the summit, he added.

The first initiative involves cooperation on development support. The second initiative covers food security cooperation, followed by the third, fourth and fifth initiatives which respectively concentrate on public health, green innovation and energy security.

The sixth initiative would support creating a dialogue, while the seventh and eighth initiatives are on youth development, cooperation and stability, the ambassador said.

“There are a lot of opportunities China and Jordan can explore [in all the aforementioned areas],” the ambassador stressed.

Echoing President Xi Jinping’s speech during the summit, the ambassador said that Xi’s words summarised “the solidarity and mutual assistance, equality and mutual benefit, inclusiveness and neutrality,” between Arab states and China.

Further, he said that Sino-Jordanian relations have made significant progress at various levels, adding that the summit would carry forward the longstanding friendship and strategic partnership, and upgrade trade and investment between China and Jordan.

He also touched upon trade between both countries, mentioning that during the first 10 months of 2022, Jordanian imports from China hit a record high value of $5.4 billion. At the same time there has been “robust growth” of 50 per cent in Jordanian exports to China.

Chinese businesses are keen to expand their work and explore new investment opportunities in the Kingdom, the ambassador added.

At the event’s close, the ambassador expressed his appreciation for Jordanian efforts in the Arab region, noting that although “Jordan is not a big country…it plays a big role in the region”. 

In regard to regional peace and stability, he said that a highlight of the summit was the Palestinian issue, whereas the Chinese president in his speech emphasised the importance of the Palestinian cause to China, stressing that “the historical injustices done to the Palestinian people cannot be left unattended indefinitely”.