Lots of Happy Talk, Not so Much Substance at Recent China-Arab Summit, Says Leading Scholar

Chinese President Xi Jinping posed with visiting Arab and Persian Gulf leaders who attended the 10th Ministerial Meeting of China-Arab States Cooperation Forum at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on May 30, 2024. JADE GAO / POOL / AFP)

The 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF) closed late last week with the adoption of the “Beijing Declaration along with a two-year “execution plan” that runs through 2026.

While there was a lot of ceremony surrounding the announcement of these documents, their substance left some of the Arab participants feeling a bit disappointed about the lack of specific details and commitments in the documents, according to some who attended the event.

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by Eric Olander

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