Wang Yi Meets with GCC Secretary General Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf

On January 11, 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. 

Wang Yi welcomed Secretary General Nayef's first visit to China, saying that the GCC is the most dynamic regional organization in the Middle East and the Gulf region and plays a positive role in the international and regional arena. I would like to extend my congratulations on the important achievements the GCC have made since its establishment 40 years ago, and believe that the GCC will achieve more results in self-strengthening through unity and integration, among other aspects.

Wang Yi said, in recent years, China and the GCC have increasingly consolidated political mutual trust and continuously deepened pragmatic cooperation, becoming development partners with the same ideas and converging interests. China appreciates the GCC's understanding of and support for China's position on issues involving China's core interests and major concerns. China also firmly supports GCC countries in safeguarding national independence, security and stability, and will continue to oppose any country's interference in the internal affairs of GCC countries under the pretext of "human rights" and any move to link terrorism with a particular religion or ethnic group. Both China and the GCC are important forces for stability. Facing uncertainties caused by changes unseen in a century and the impact of the pandemic, we should work together to play a more positive role in regional peace and stability and world peace and development.

Nayef said, China and the GCC enjoy time-honored relations. China is an important strategic partner and the largest trading partner of the GCC, and both sides have a high level of mutual trust. The GCC highly appreciates China's important influence and positive role in international and regional affairs, looks forward to the future of bilateral relations, and firmly believes that cooperation between the GCC and China is conducive to the stability and development of the Gulf region and will bring great benefits to the people.

The two sides exchanged in-depth views on enhancing China-GCC relations, deepening pragmatic cooperation and strengthening multilateral coordination, and reached a series of important consensus.

Both sides agreed that conditions are ripe for the establishment of China-GCC strategic partnership and both sides will speed up the process so as to push bilateral 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.

Both sides agreed to hold the fourth China-GCC Strategic Dialogue in Riyadh at an early date, and jointly formulate and sign an action plan for the strategic dialogue in the next three years, so as to inject new content and expand new areas for bilateral cooperation.

Both sides agreed to complete the negotiations on a China-GCC Free Trade Agreement at an early date, give full play to the regional advantages of the GCC countries, share the opportunities of China's huge market, help the GCC countries become logistics and shipping hubs leading neighboring areas, and attract more foreign capital and technologies to the Gulf region to accelerate the diversified development of the GCC countries.

Both sides 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 and safeguard international fairness and justice.

Both sides agreed to strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs and jointly address global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. Nayef said, the GCC stands ready to work with China to explore tripartite cooperation, so as to inject greater impetus into global sustainable development.

The two sides also exchanged views and coordinated their positions on the Iranian nuclear issue and the Yemeni issue.