China-Arab States Young Political Leaders Forum in Zhuhai, Zhai Jun urges Iran to respect ceasefire, Iranian oil to China as 'colonial trap from 19th century', Jordan renewable energy MoU with PRC

Aspiring young politicians link with Arab states - China Daily. I’ve often pointed out the huge gap between China-MENA economic relations and personal connections. My students all believe that China is the biggest, strongest, richest, most developed - pick your superlative - but they know very very little about it. Chinese tourists come to the Middle East but it’s not reciprocated at anything like the same level. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done to familiarize Arab publics with Chinese culture and society. This forum in Zhuhai is an example of the steps being taken to facilitate the process. Whether or not it works is hard to say. I’ve been in similar forums and they don’t seem to be designed with audience preferences or expectations in mind, but rather serve to tick boxes on the Party checklist. So there’s a good chance everyone leaves with a totebag, Xi Jinping’s latest book and serious boredom. But I’ll ask around to see if anyone I know in the region was there and what their impressions were.

The third China-Arab States Young Political Leaders Forum, which takes place on Wednesday and Thursday in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, is designed to contribute to dialogue between Chinese and Arab civilizations and promote youth exchanges.