Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and delivers a keynote speech titled "Building on Past Achievements and Jointly Creating a Brighter Future of China-GCC Relations", in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 9, 2022. (Xinhua)

RIYADH, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday said that China and states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are natural partners for cooperation.

In his speech at the China-GCC summit held here, Xi called on the two sides to be partners in promoting unity, development, security and civilizations.

Xi also proposed five major areas for cooperation in the next three to five years, including energy, finance and investment, innovation and new technologies, as well as aerospace, and language and cultures.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Omani Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, Ruler of Fujairah of United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Dr. Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf attend the China-GCC Summit, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 9, 2022. Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech titled "Building on Past Achievements and Jointly Creating a Brighter Future of China-GCC Relations" here Friday at the China-GCC Summit. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Xi emphasized that China highly appreciates the unity and self-improvement of the GCC countries and promotes the GCC to become the most dynamic regional organization in the Middle East and Gulf. Standing at the crossroads of history, we should continue the friendship tradition between China Shipping and take the strategic partnership between China Shipping as an opportunity to enrich the strategic connotation of China Shipping relations.

-Be partners in promoting unity, constantly consolidate political mutual trust and firmly support each other's core interests. We will jointly safeguard the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, practice true multilateralism and safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

-Be a partner in seeking common development, strengthen the docking of development strategies, give full play to complementary advantages and cultivate development momentum. China looks forward to working with other parties to promote the implementation of global development initiatives, implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promote regional development and prosperity.

-Be a partner in building security together. China will continue to firmly support the GCC countries in safeguarding their own security, and support regional countries to resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation and build a collective security architecture in the Gulf. We welcome GCC countries to participate in global security initiatives and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability.

--Be a partner in promoting civilization together, enhance people-to-people communication, enrich people-to-people exchanges, learn from each other's outstanding cultural achievements, carry forward the profound essence of Oriental civilization, and make positive contributions to the development and progress of human civilization.

Xi emphasized that in the next three to five years, China is willing to make efforts with GCC countries in the following key areas of cooperation:

First, build a new pattern of three-dimensional energy cooperation. China will continue to expand imports of crude oil and liquefied natural gas from GCC countries, strengthen technical cooperation in oil and gas development and clean and low-carbon energy, and carry out RMB settlement of oil and gas trade. Set up a China Shipping Forum on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Technology, jointly build a China Shipping Nuclear Security Demonstration Center, and train talents for peaceful uses of nuclear energy and nuclear technology for GCC countries.

Second, promote new progress in financial and investment cooperation. China is willing to carry out financial supervision cooperation with GCC countries, establish a joint investment association, support sovereign wealth funds of both sides to cooperate in various ways, study and hold China Shipping Industry and Investment Cooperation Forum, strengthen investment cooperation in digital economy and green development, establish a working mechanism for bilateral investment and economic cooperation, and deepen cooperation in digital currency.

Third, expand new areas of innovation, science and technology cooperation. China is willing to build a big data and cloud computing center with GCC countries, strengthen 5G and 6G technical cooperation, build a number of innovation and entrepreneurship incubators, implement 10 digital economy projects around cross-border e-commerce cooperation and communication network construction, establish a meteorological science and technology cooperation mechanism between China Shipping, and hold a seminar on China Shipping's response to climate change.

Fourth, achieve new breakthroughs in space cooperation. China is willing to cooperate with GCC countries in the fields of remote sensing and communication satellites, space applications, space infrastructure, astronaut selection and training, and welcomes astronauts from GCC countries to enter the China Space Station, fly jointly with Chinese astronauts and conduct space science experiments. Welcome the sea side to participate in China's space mission carrying cooperation and study the establishment of China Shipping Joint Lunar and Deep Space Exploration Center.

Fifth, create new highlights of language and cultural cooperation. China will cooperate with 300 GCC countries to carry out Chinese education, set up 300 Chinese wisdom classrooms, provide 3,000 "Chinese Bridge" summer (winter) camp places, set up Chinese learning and testing centers and online Chinese classes, hold Chinese Language and Culture Forum, and jointly build a bilingual library of Chinese cultural exchanges and mutual learning.

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and delivers a keynote speech titled "Building on Past Achievements and Jointly Creating a Brighter Future of China-GCC Relations", in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dec. 9, 2022. (Xinhua)

Xi emphasized that China and the GCC countries shoulder the glorious mission of national development and rejuvenation, and China-Shipping relations are both old and young. China will, as always, support the maritime side to unite and strive for self-improvement, achieve diversified economic development and play a greater role in international and regional affairs. China is willing to work with the maritime side to take this summit as an opportunity to create a new era of better China-maritime relations.

Mohammed presided over the summit on behalf of Saudi King Salman, saying that the world is facing many risks and challenges, which need to be dealt with by all parties in unity. Under the wise leadership of President Xi, China has made great achievements in development and become an important advanced force leading global governance. The sea side spoke highly of the fruitful results of cooperation in various fields between the sea and China, and highly appreciated China's global development initiative and its important contribution to promoting political solutions to regional problems. All GCC countries hope to strengthen cooperation with China, plan key areas of future cooperation between China and the sea through this summit, and open a new chapter in China-China relations. The sea side is committed to strengthening experience exchange and technical cooperation with China, promoting more achievements in bilateral cooperation in infrastructure, health, energy and other fields, and better coping with global challenges such as food crisis and energy crisis.

Other maritime leaders at the meeting spoke highly of maritime relations and the first maritime summit, and all believed that the first maritime summit was a grand event in the history of maritime relations and had important milestone significance. The GCC countries share the same ideas and views with China, and their relations fully reflect mutual understanding, mutual trust and win-win cooperation. The sea side firmly believes that China's sustained prosperity and development will create more opportunities for the world, and strengthening cooperation between the sea and China is conducive to promoting the establishment of a more just and rational international order and making positive contributions to promoting regional peace and development. The sea side firmly abides by the one-China principle, and is willing to work with China to implement the outcomes of this summit, continuously deepen cooperation in key areas in the sea, and better benefit the people of both sides.

The summit issued the Joint Statement of the Summit of the People's Republic of China and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, and adopted the Action Plan of the Strategic Dialogue between the People's Republic of China and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf from 2023 to 2027, making plans for cooperation between China and the GCC countries in various fields.

Ding Xuexiang, Wang Yi and He Lifeng attended the meeting.