Du Xiaogang (R), Party secretary of Wuxi, meets with members of the 23rd training course for officials of Arab countries. [Photo/Wuxi Daily]
Members of the 23rd training course for officials of Arab countries organized by the China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development recently visited Wuxi in Jiangsu province.
Du Xiaogang, Party secretary of Wuxi, briefed them on the cooperation between Wuxi and Arab countries. He expressed hope that both sides will expand cooperation and produce more cooperation outcomes in financial investment, industrial innovation, running schools, humanity, and art, as well as culture and tourism.
The delegation anticipates enhancing its understanding of China, Jiangsu, and Wuxi through this visit. In addition, the delegation aims to explore opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation across various sectors, thereby contributing to the strengthened relations and collaboration between China and Arab nations.
Wuxi boasts close ties with Arab countries. It carried out sister-city cooperation with Fes in Morocco and Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates in 2010 and 2018, respectively.
In 2022, Wuxi served as the host city for foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain, as well as the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council. In 2023, the city dispatched a delegation to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for economic and trade exchanges, signing 34 projects worth $3.86 billion, and hosted the Financial Empowerment Conference and China-Arab States (Wuxi) Industrial Finance Summit. This year, the China-Arab Research Center on Reform and Development inaugurated its Wuxi base.
Currently, Arab countries have invested in 44 enterprises in Wuxi, with a total investment of $299 million. Wuxi enterprises have 48 investment projects in Arab countries with a combined agreed investment of $750 million.
