On May 21, 2008, the third meeting of the ministers of the China-Arab forum which seeks closer partnership for development opened in Bahrain. Foreign ministers and various representatives from 22 Arab countries are participating in the meeting. The Foreign Minister of China Yang Jiechi said that the two sides should focus on cooperation of energy, investment and engineering project contract as well as human resource development.

 

According to the cooperation agreement, Beijing will be training 1000 management and technology professionals from the Arab countries during the next three years. He further added that China will join hands with the Arab nations to make some new and innovative contributions to merge and develop the friendship and relations between China and the Arab nations.

 

The deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain, Sheikh Muhammad said that this cooperation agreement is a new starting point and it is a common goal to set up a new partnership between China and the Arab countries. This, in turn will help to develop some newer, closer ties.

 

Mr. Yang is expected to meet Bahrain's Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and hold some official meetings and talks with his Bahrain counterpart Sheikh Khaled Bin Ahmed al-Thani on the sidelines of the conference which is to go on for a couple of days.