BEIJING, July 22, 2013 /PRNewswire — Ningxia, the sole provincial-level Hui autonomous region in China, is an important contributor to China’s economic and trade cooperation with Arab countries. The 2013 China-Arab States Expo, to be held in Ningxia this September, will act as an international cooperation platform to enhance cooperation between China and the Arab world in key areas including agriculture, energy, chemicals, new technologies, culture, education, tourism, and finance.
Despite the global economy’s slow recovery, China’s cooperation with Arab countries is increasingly vibrant, with bilateral trade experiencing fast growth. China’s bilateral trade with Arab countries reached a new high, with 14 percent year-on-year growth to US$222.4 billion in 2012.
At the press conference for the expo held on July 17, Ningxia Hui autonomous region chairman Liu Hui said that the State Council approved the establishment of the Ningxia inland open economic pilot zone and the Yinchuan comprehensive bonded zone last September, putting Ningxia at the forefront of a recent policy to try new and different approaches to developing trade opportunities. Meanwhile, the event’s name was changed from the China-Arab States Economic and Trade Forum to the China-Arab States Expo. This year’s event is being co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of China, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and the government of Ningxia Hui autonomous region. The expo takes place between September 15 and 19.
Several domestic and foreign political leaders have been invited to speak at the opening ceremony, with each speaker presenting their vision for development and their proposals for achieving that development. The event will include forums and conferences including the China-Arab Agricultural Cooperation Forum, the China-Arab Energy Cooperation Forum, the China-Arab Financial Cooperation Forum, the World Muslim Commercial Traveler Conference, the China-GCC Countries Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum, and the China-Arab Infrastructure Investment and Financing Forum, as well as exhibits on halal foods and supplies, in a move to promote a more comprehensive and deeper cooperation between China and the Arab world.
The event is co-sponsored by several major business associations and specialized intermediary agencies, highlighting China’s strategy of building platforms for opening to the West, as well as lending support to an overall policy of opening up to countries and regions worldwide.