Chinese official urges Gulf Crisis settlement

The Gulf Cooperation Council should not enter into chaos or disintegrate, said the Ambassador for China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF) Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Li Chengwen while speaking to a Qatari media delegation currently visiting Beijing.

He added that this is China’s position as Beijing is friends with all parties to the crisis. Hence, he added, China asks them not to sabotage the past and that their customs and traditions are capable of resolving the crisis openly and clearly through concrete steps to restore the previous natural fraternal ties.

The ambassador has reaffirmed the depth of historical friendship ties between Qatar and the People’s Republic of China, which are based on mutual respect and benefits as well as coordinating positions on regional and international issues of common concern.

He pointed to the constant communication and consultation between the leaderships of the two countries so as to achieve their mutual interests in all fields.

The ambassador hailed the strategic partnership ties between Qatar and China as a result of the successful visit of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to China in 2014 and his constructive talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, stressing that, over 30 years, the relations between Doha and

Beijing remained strong and trustworthy and saw smooth, growing and stable development in all areas. He noted that the State of Qatar is an important partner in the Belt and Road Initiative and is one of the first countries to stand by this initiative and support it.

Ambassador Li praised Qatar National Vision 2030 and its pillars that make the country a modern, more progressive and more open state, noting that the outstanding Qatari-Chinese cooperation covers important areas such as energy, infrastructure, economy and finance.

Qatar has long been China’s first source of liquefied natural gas (LNG), of which Beijing imported 7.48 million tons in 2017, up 51 percent from the previous year, which amounts to 20 percent of China’s LNG imports, HE the ambassador said, adding that many Chinese companies are working in the Qatari infrastructure sectors, including one of the 2022 World Cup host venues.

The ambassador stressed China’s position on the current Gulf crisis and the need to resolve it in accordance with the U.N. Charter and the rules of peaceful coexistence through dialogue, negotiation, and respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of states, while also achieving the interests of all parties and the security and stability of the region.

He added that China refuses the use of force or threating to use it in international relations, and that any dispute must be resolved through political methods and dialogue, noting that these are fundamental principles that must be followed when dealing with hot issues in order to resolve them before paying attention to development issues.

Source: Qatar National Agency.