His Excellency Ambassador Ahmed Rashid Khattabi, Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Media and Communication Sector, held on 5 November a series of meetings with senior Chinese officials participating in the Seventh Arab-China Radio and Television Cooperation Forum.
The meetings took place on the sidelines of the forum. Ambassador Khattabi met with Her Excellency Ms. Cao Shumin, Deputy Minister of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Director of the National Radio and Television Administration, to discuss proposals and mechanisms for activating the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the General Secretariat and the Administration in December 2023. The discussions were held in light of the positive momentum in Arab-Chinese relations and the progress achieved within the framework of the Arab-China Cooperation Forum, in preparation for the Second Arab-China Summit to be held in Beijing in 2026.
The Ambassador affirmed the importance of developing a comprehensive implementation programme for the next stage, aimed at diversifying cooperation in the audiovisual field—particularly through enhanced programme exchange and joint production. He stressed that such cooperation is vital for strengthening the media’s role in building bridges of understanding and advancing the existing strategic partnership between the Arab world and the People’s Republic of China.
The delegation of the General Secretariat, along with the heads of the participating Arab delegations, were also received by Mr. Hu Henghua, Deputy Secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and Mayor of the Chongqing Municipal Government. Ambassador Khattabi expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation to His Excellency for the warm welcome and excellent organisation of the forum, noting that Chongqing stands as a leading model of development, urban planning, industry, and modern technology, and holds particular symbolic significance within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.
In recognition of the efforts made by the Chinese National Radio and Television Administration in ensuring the success of this forum—which brought together 300 officials, experts, and media professionals—Ambassador Khattabi presented the Media and Communication Sector Shield to Mr. Dong Xin, representing the Administration.
