THE GCC and China have stressed the need to establish a strategic partnership to further expand areas of co-operation and face challenges.
In a joint statement issued following a meeting between GCC Secretary General Dr Nayef Al Hajraf and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in the Chinese city of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, they agreed to hold the fourth GCC-China Strategic Dialogue in Riyadh at an early date.
According to the statement, both agreed that conditions are ripe for the establishment of strategic partnership and that they will speed up the process to push relations to a new level, send positive signals to the outside world and better safeguard legitimate interests of both sides and common interests of regional countries.
They also agreed to complete the negotiations on a China-GCC Free Trade Agreement at an early date, share the opportunities of Beijing’s huge market, help the GCC countries become logistics and shipping hubs and attract more foreign capital and technologies.
Both agreed to uphold the international system with the UN at its core, abide by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, jointly safeguard the basic norms of international relations, fairness and justice.
They also pledged to strengthen co-ordination in international and regional affairs and jointly address global challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change.
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