On May 12, 2016, the 7th ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF) was convened in Doha, Qatar. President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message on the opening of the meeting.

Xi Jinping pointed out in the congratulatory message that Arab states are actively responding to the proposal I made at the sixth CASCF ministerial meeting in 2014 on jointly building the Belt and Road between China and Arab countries. I can deeply feel the passion of Arab states for participating in the initiative during my visit to the headquarters of the League of Arab States (LAS) this January.

Xi Jinping expressed that at the 7th ministerial meeting, an in-depth discussion will be held on the important topic of "jointly building the Belt and Road initiative and deepening China-Arab strategic cooperation" and there will be comprehensive planning for the major fields and cooperative programs of China-Arab collective cooperation in the next two years, which will exert important significance to promoting mutually beneficial cooperation, deepening people-to-people and cultural exchanges and enhancing the construction of the forum mechanism.

Xi Jinping stressed that China stands ready to work with Arab states to steadily promote the building of the Belt and Road based on the principle of wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefit so as to jointly create a brighter future for China-Arab strategic cooperative relations.

On the same day, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar also sent a congratulatory message to the 7th CASCF ministerial meeting. Foreign ministers of both China and LAS member states together attended the opening ceremony of the 7th CASCF ministerial meeting.