H E Sheikh Abdulla bin Saoud Al Thani (second right), Qatar Central Bank Governor and Li Chen (centre), Ambassador of China to Qatar, cutting a cake with other officials on the 30th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between Qatar and China at Sheraton D
DOHA: Ambassador of China to Qatar Li Chen has expressed confidence more Chinese tourists will be visiting Qatar in the near future with recent developments in the bilateral ties between the two countries in the field of tourism.
Speaking at the 30th anniversary celebration of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Qatar and China, the ambassador pointed out that not long ago the two countries reached an agreement on comprehensive visa exemption which “reflects the high level of development of China-Qatar relations and the goodwill of the two countries to commit themselves to a sustainable bilateral relationship.”
“Journey at any time will soon become a reality between the two countries,” he stressed.
Qatar Airways currently operates direct flights to seven cities in China while Qatar Tourism Authority has set up representative offices in several Chinese cities and launched an exclusive project to welcome Chinese people.
Last year, there were more than 45,000 Chinese tourists who visited Qatar marking a sharp increase of 26 percent.
As China and Qatar mark 30 years of diplomatic ties, the ambassador traced the achievements of the two countries through mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields.
“Trade volume between the two countries has increased from less than $50m at the beginning of bilateral diplomatic relations in 1988 to $10.3bn in 2017, realising a dramatic 200-fold growth,” he stressed.
Qatar is China’s second largest source of LNG imports, while China is Qatar’s fourth largest trading partner and second largest source of imports, he said, adding Chinese enterprises have participated in the construction of several strategic projects in Qatar such as the Hamad Port and 2022 World Cup main stadium while Qatari companies are entering the Chinese market.
“In recent years, while deepening the cooperation in traditional fields such as energy, trade and infrastructure, China and Qatar have also opened up new areas of cooperation in communication, finance, investment and industry. Cooperation in security, anti-terrorism and military has also been strengthened. These all contribute to promoting bilateral cooperation to an even higher level,” he said.
The ambassador also emphasized China and Qatar have enjoyed growing cultural exchanges which have effectively enhanced mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples through the years such as the 2016 Qatar-China Year of Culture which saw exhibitions and cultural shows enjoyed by people in both countries.
He also mentioned the cooperation between the two countries on the international arena in their efforts “to safeguard peace and stability in the region, to defend the interests of developing countries, and to build a community for mankind featuring peace, security and development.”
He recalled the exchange of high-level visits which had become important milestones in the development of bilateral ties and cooperation and deepened political trust between the two countries, including the visit to China of H H the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in 1999 and Vice President of China Xi Jinping’s visit to Qatar in 2008.
“In 2014, H H the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani made a historical visit to China and has reached an important consensus with Chinese President Xi Jinping on further development of bilateral ties. The establishment of a strategic partnership was jointly announced and the two countries signed an MoU on joint cooperation in the Belt and Road initiative, marking a new era of comprehensive and rapid development of bilateral relationship,” he said.
Bilateral ties between Qatar and China is now more mature and stable embracing better opportunities and broader prospects for development in the future, he said.
“Under the current circumstances, China and Qatar are more suitable than ever before to strengthen cooperation and work together for win-win cooperation and realize our glorious ambitions,” he said, while thanking the Qatari government and all those who have been devoted to promoting friendship and cooperation between China and Qatar in the past 30 years.
“The 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the China and Qatar is a new starting point. China is willing to work together with Qatar to continue the friendship and cooperation between us and to promote bilateral relations along the path of political mutual trust, economic mutual benefit, and cultural mutual understanding and to create a splendid chapter for the next 30 years,” he stressed.
