China, Arab nations expand scientific cooperation at trade expo

The seventh China-Arab States Expo concluded recently in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, reinforcing the city's role as a key bridge between China and Arab nations.

The event produced cooperation agreements across sectors, including the digital economy, clean energy, artificial intelligence, modern agriculture, water resources and meteorology.

A business representative (third from right) talks with company employees during a break at the China-Arab States Economy, Trade and Investment Matching. (Xinhua/Yang Zhisen)

A major highlight was the release of 500 advanced and applicable technological achievements tailored to the needs of Arab nations by the China-Arab States Technology Transfer Center (CASTTC), covering areas such as green agriculture and environmental protection.

China-Arab scientific cooperation has intensified over the years, delivering benefits to both sides. Chinese experience and technology have helped countries address freshwater scarcity and arid conditions, enabling the cultivation of vegetables and forage crops on previously barren land.

The 500 technologies were selected from 1,300 submissions by more than 60 Chinese universities, research institutions and enterprises through expert evaluation rounds. They address Arab nations' needs in food security, desertification control, industrial upgrading, energy-efficient buildings, digital economy and energy transition.

Ningxia Wozhiyuan Technology Co., Ltd. signed a partnership with a Saudi Arabian company during the expo. Chairman Sun Zhaojun of the Chinese company said the technology enables intelligent control of irrigation, fertilization and temperature to address water scarcity and extreme heat challenges in Saudi agriculture.

Since 2013, Ningxia has promoted wide-ranging science and technology innovation exchanges with Arab states under the Belt and Road Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Action Plan and the China-Arab partner project of science and technology.

Working with China's Ministry of Science and Technology and the Secretariat of the Arab League, Ningxia has co-established the CASTTC, built eight bilateral technology transfer centers, two overseas cooperation bases and one joint working group. This collaboration has delivered significant results in modern agriculture, ecological protection and desertification prevention, creating a technology transfer network that links thousands of Chinese and foreign research institutions and enterprises.

A visitor interacts with an intelligent robot at the seventh China-Arab States Expo. (Xinhua/Zhao Yusi)

As a vital part of the China-Arab States Expo, the China-Arab States Technology Transfer and Innovation Cooperation Conference has been held in Ningxia since 2015. To date, it has released more than 1,300 advanced applicable technological achievements, facilitated 109 cooperation agreements and conducted 24 international technical training sessions, cultivating over 1,000 technical professionals for Arab countries.

This year, 13 cooperation agreements were signed in the presence of more than 400 Chinese and foreign guests, injecting fresh momentum and opening new horizons for China-Arab technology transfer and innovation cooperation.

The seventh China-Arab States Expo broke new ground by establishing AI and gaming industry exhibitions for the first time, creating new areas for China-Arab cooperation.

The AI exhibition featured 31 companies, including Huawei, ZTE and Tencent Cloud, showcasing computing infrastructure, large language models, robotic arms and brain-computer interface medical technologies. The innovations demonstrated applications in smart city management, agriculture, health care and cultural tourism.

Kuwaiti ambassador to China Jasem Ibrahem Al-Najem, praised the seventh China-Arab States Expo, particularly noting the remarkable technological achievements in AI and the strong development of the low-altitude economy.

Kuwait is promoting economic diversification to reduce its singular dependence on energy, the ambassador said, adding that Kuwait and China enjoy broad prospects for economic and trade cooperation in AI and other fields.