hanghai International Studies University (SISU) held the 12^th Arab Officials Seminar on May 14, 2023, inviting 31 Arab high-level officials from 18 Arab countries and the Secretariat of the League of Arab States (LAS).

It was the first seminar for Arab after the first China-Arab Summit. The seminar introduced concept of Chinese modern development in multiple fields, including innovation, coordination, environmental protection, openness and sharing.

During the nine-day seminar held by China-Arab Research Center (CARC), participants made field visits in Shanghai and Zhejiang to learn about city planning, business and high-tech industries.

As a part of field visit, they watched the achievements of emerging industries, such as integrated circuits, biomedicine, new energy, new materials and artificial intelligence, in the G60 Ke Chuang corridor exhibition hall.

“The concepts of Chinese modernization benefit industrial economy in a short time, and will benefit the world,” said Samir Basha, director of the Arab General Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Algeria.

They also exchanged views on local living environment and business experience with Arab businessmen who lived in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, where Yiwu International Trade City that had about 70,000 shops.

“Arab is an important trading partner of Yiwu. I hope Yiwu and Arab can further promote cooperation in trade, finance and humanities,” said Ye Bangrui, mayor of Yiwu.

“China let us know what they promote on modernization and how they do it, which is a real exchange and mutual learning,” said Mansour Kaabi, seminar participant from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC).

At the graduation ceremony, all the Arab participants were presented with certificates of completion, the Arabic version of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, and other souvenirs.

Rahman Mohsin, director of the Department of Asian and Australian Affairs of the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, said that he hoped for new cooperation in energy security, dialogue among civilizations, job creation, combating climate change and promoting rule of law.

Organized by SISU, CARC was committed to building an international exchange platform, which integrated personnel training, cultural exchanges, think tank research.

Yi Yonggang, SISU’s Vice President, said that CARC would continue to enhance mutual learning between Arab and China.