Promotional Event for the Arabic Edition of The Belt and Road Initiative by Xi Jinping Held in Abu Dhabi
On April 29 local time, a promotional event for the Arabic edition of The Belt and Road Initiative by Xi Jinping was held in Abu Dhabi. The event was hosted by China International Communications Group (CICG) and the Embassy of China in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), organized by Foreign Languages Press (FLP) and the CICG Center for Europe and Africa (CICG Europe-Africa), and co-organized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC).
▲Venue of the event
CICG President Du Zhanyuan, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism Mohamed Al Mubarak, Chinese Ambassador to the UAE Zhang Yiming, Deputy Director of the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism Saeed Al Hosani, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) at the Department of Culture and Tourism Ali Bin Tamim, and CEO of TRENDS Research and Advisory Mohamed Ali attended the event, and Du Zhanyuan, Ali Bin Tamim, Zhang Yiming, and Mohamed Ali delivered speeches. More than 100 guests from government agencies, university-affiliated think tanks, publishing houses, and the cultural industry in China, UAE, Egypt, Syria, and other countries participated in the event. The President of FLP, Hu Kaimin, and the Director of the International Cooperation Department of CICG, Liu Shuangyan, respectively, hosted the promotional event and accompanying discussion session.
▲Du Zhanyuan delivering a speech
Du Zhanyuan noted that the Arabic edition of The Belt and Road Initiative contains important speeches and essays by President Xi Jinping on the development of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), stating that the book provides a vivid and comprehensive record of the development, significance, and achievements of this key initiative, serving as an authoritative source for Arab readers to know and understand the BRI. BRI cooperation is rooted in the common vision of participating countries and is committed to improving people’s wellbeing, focusing on common development and building a global community of shared future. It is based on people-to-people bonds and has a strong focus on the promotion of cultural exchange and mutual learning between civilizations. BRI cooperation between China and Arab countries has seen a decade of fruitful development and will usher in another golden decade. From “hard connectivity” in infrastructure to “soft connectivity” through harmonized rules and standards, and to people-to-people connectivity, China and Arab countries’ cooperation on the BRI provides an example for other countries to draw inspiration from.
▲ Ali Bin Tamim delivering a speech
Ali Bin Tamim highlighted that under the visionary leadership of the leaders of both countries, bilateral relations between the UAE and China have seen significant progress in various fields, as proven by the promotional event for the Arabic edition of The Belt and Road Initiative by Xi Jinping being held at the 33rd Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. The BRI is one of the greatest initiatives of the 21st century, and within its framework of values that feature inclusiveness and win-win cooperation, The Belt and Road Initiative is like a beacon on the modern Silk Road, promoting dialogue between civilizations and closely connecting the peoples of China and the UAE. The treasure trove of knowledge and cultural exchanges found in the book will continue to promote the friendship and prosperity of the two countries.
▲Zhang Yiming delivering a speech
Zhang Yiming stated that The Belt and Road Initiative by Xi Jinping reflects the development of the BRI – a Chinese initiative that, over the past decade, has had a profound influence on the world. Its development has been akin to completing a drawing – progressing from “sketching the outline” to “filling in the details”. The book profoundly reveals the reasons for the success of the BRI in the UAE and other countries from theoretical, historical, and practical aspects. The choice of Abu Dhabi to host the first overseas promotional event for the Arabic edition of the book was not accidental. The decision was made in recognition of the achievements of Belt and Road cooperation between China and the UAE, and also to encourage future cooperation between the two sides. Zhang hopes that the event will contribute to solid and stable China-UAE relations on the journey of jointly advancing the BRI.
▲Mohamed Ali delivering a speech
Mohamed Ali noted that the BRI is one of the most important global initiatives proposed by President Xi, and that The Belt and Road Initiative by him is a work of theoretical and practical significance. The UAE, as an important link in the world trade network, is located at the intersection of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Road and plays an important role in Belt and Road cooperation.
At the promotional event, Du Zhanyuan and Zhang Yiming presented the Arabic edition of The Belt and Road Initiative by Xi Jinping to Mohamed Al Mubarak, Saeed Al Hosani, and other guests from Arab countries.
▲Du Zhanyuan and Zhang Yiming presenting the Arabic edition of The Belt and Road Initiative by Xi Jinping to Mohamed Al Mubarak and Saeed Al Hosani
▲Du Zhanyuan and Zhang Yiming presenting the Arabic edition of The Belt and Road Initiative by Xi Jinping to Arab guests
During the discussion session, guests exchanged ideas on the theme of “High-Quality Belt and Road Cooperation for a China-Arab Community of Shared Future”. FLP President Hu Kaimin, Deputy General Manager of China State Construction Engineering Corporation Middle East (CSCME) Ni Beilei, President of the Syrian Publishers Association Haitham Hafez, Director of the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies of the Northwest University Han Zhibin, Director of Tahrir Centre for Studies and Research Emad al-Azraq, Director of the Institute of Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Mo Jihong, and Deputy Director of the CICG Center for Europe and Africa Li Wuzhou among other guests shared their insights.
The attendees believe that under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, China has seen remarkable development, its people are living a fulfilling life, and the country is increasingly prosperous. The BRI is a global practice that embodies the common understanding and cooperation of the international community. It provides a new option and a new path for developing countries to end poverty, move towards modernization, and participate in global governance, all the while contributing Chinese wisdom to global stability and prosperity.
The Belt and Road Initiative incorporates 42 articles written by President Xi between September 2013 and July 2018 on jointly advancing BRI cooperation. Its English and French editions were published by FLP in April 2019, and the Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and Japanese editions in October 2023.
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(Source: CICG)