国内英语新闻:9th China-Arab ministerial meeting to be held

BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The 9th ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum will be held on July 6 via video-link, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced Thursday.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will co-chair the meeting with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Zhao Lijian told a regular press briefing.

Zhao said foreign ministers of Arab League (AL) member states will attend the meeting, along with AL Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit.

Noting that China attaches high importance to advancing the China-Arab strategic partnership, Zhao said the two sides are "good partners of mutual benefit and good brothers sharing weal and woe."

"Confronted with the COVID-19 outbreak, we have been fighting side by side with solidarity and mutual assistance," he said.

"Our relations have been deepened and elevated in this process. As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc around the globe, convening this meeting will send out a message of China and Arab states consolidating consensus on solidarity and cooperation, upholding multilateralism, supporting each other on issues bearing on core interests and major concerns, and joining hands to build a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era," the spokesperson said.

"China stands ready to work together with other participants to make this ministerial a complete success," Zhao added.