GCC keen on boosting partnership with China - FM

NEW YORK, Sept 26 (KUNA) -- Kuwait's First Deputy Prime Minster and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah affirmed the desire of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to boost cooperation and partnership with China.
The GCC-China unprecedented levels of cooperation featured heavily in two main aspects - skyrocketing trade volume and joint investment, and the collective efforts to promote stability and development on the regional and international scales, he said.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled made the comments while leading the GCC side at a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the 69th General Assembly session.
He said that the GCC-China trade volume hit USD 177 billion trade in 2013 in comparison to USD 12.3 billion in 2001, which "displays the rapid growth in inter-regional trade." The GCC is the most important source for oil import to China, noted.
Total direct investments from China to GCC are nearly USD four billion in 2013.
The GCC, said Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, is an important market for Chinese contracting companies, which represent six percent of total Chinese companies' contracts in 2013; these contracts include, inter alia, projects in railroads, ports, power generators, roads, bridges, and communications.
As for the financial field, eight Chinese banks have opened their branches in the GCC, where four GCC banks opened representative bureaus in China.
In the civil aviation field, China has signed agreements with the six countries, with more than 90 direct flights operating every week, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled said.
Elaborating on the second aspect of the GCC-Chinese cooperation, he said both sides contribute to achieving security, stability, peace and development at regional and international levels.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled stressed that the GCC countries appreciate the political role of China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, on the international scene.
He reaffirmed the GCC support to the China-one policy.
"We share China's interest in preserving national sovereignty and security in the face of extremism, separatism and terrorism," described by Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled as the "three evil powers.
"We also share the believe in peaceful coexistence, unity of land, non interference in internal affairs, equality, and mutual benefits," he added.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled affirmed GCC's keenness to develop relations with China, and willingness to take these relations to a new height.
He voiced hope that both sides will cement the comprehensive cooperative partnership at all levels, and speed up the negotiations on trade liberalization, the Silk Road project and the marine Silk Road ventures. (end) mao.gb