Amman The launch of two strategic reports on Jordanian-Chinese relations and Arab-Chinese relations carried messages that went beyond simply reviewing the course of relations between the two sides, opening discussion on how to turn accumulated political momentum into broader practical pathways, especially following the recent royal visit to China and the understandings and agreements it produced, coinciding with the approaching 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Amman and Beijing.
اضافة اعلان
The launch of the two reports marked a new phase focused on moving from an accumulation of political understandings to testing the ability to implement them, particularly in economics, investment, technology, education, and scientific research, giving the momentum generated by the royal visit an opportunity to develop into a deeper partnership, as the 50-year milestone in Jordanian-Chinese relations approaches.
This came during a special symposium organized by the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan, in cooperation with the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Jordan, to launch the two reports, with the participation of politicians, academics, and researchers, making the occasion a space for examining the future of Jordanian-Chinese and Arab-Chinese relations politically, economically, security-wise, technologically, and culturally.
Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Guo Wei said the two reports were the fruit of the efforts of four researchers at the center, following their visit to Shanghai this past May, during which they visited advanced technology companies and cultural sites, and held dialogues and exchanges with think tanks, noting that direct experience helps form a more comprehensive picture of China.
He explained that the two reports "are based on a deep reading of history, while at the same time focusing on current developments and future prospects," and provide, through addressing political, economic, security, technological, cultural, and other aspects, a systematic overview of the development of Chinese-Arab relations and Chinese-Jordanian relations and their future prospects.
Speaking about Arab Chinese relations, Guo Wei noted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Arab countries, considering it an occasion of historic significance, as the past seven decades have seen development in political trust, trade and economic exchange, and cooperation in energy, scientific and technological innovation, and human and cultural exchanges.
He noted that relations have risen to new levels, particularly since the first China-Arab Summit was held in 2022, while both sides are working to build a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era, explaining that the Arab Chinese report represents a summary of the historical journey and a forward-looking reading of its future prospects.
On the Jordanian matter, the ambassador described His Majesty King Abdullah II's visit to China this past August as "an important milestone in the history of the development of relations between the two countries, and also a prominent event in the course of the development of Chinese-Arab relations," noting that His Majesty's talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping resulted in "broad consensus on deepening the strategic partnership between China and Jordan," alongside the signing of 25 cooperation documents.
He said the Jordanian report is not limited to reviewing the course of cooperation between the two countries since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1977, but "also focuses on the new phase inaugurated by His Majesty the King's visit to China and presents constructive ideas and proposals."
He added that next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Jordan, expressing his country's hope that both sides will seize this occasion to "implement the important agreements reached by the leaders of both countries, and continue strengthening cooperation in all fields," in a way that reinforces the bonds of friendship between the two countries.
For his part, Director of the Center for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan Dr. Hassan Al-Momani confirmed that the center, in cooperation with the Chinese embassy, launched two important reports, one on Jordanian-Chinese relations and the other on Arab-Chinese relations, in a process that took about 10 months, aimed at building a scientific and research reference framework on these relations.
Al-Momani noted that this research effort came to build on the recent royal visit to China, which constituted a pivotal moment in Jordanian Chinese and Arab Chinese relations, given the international standing His Majesty King Abdullah II holds, affirming the existence of common ground between Jordan and China, and agreement on a number of political issues, foremost among them the Palestinian cause.
In a Jordanian reading of the visit's outcomes, former Prime Minister Dr. Adnan Badran viewed China as an economic and technological power whose expertise Jordan could build on, calling for expanding cooperation in renewable energy, modern agriculture, and artificial intelligence, and linking Chinese expertise with Jordanian human competencies.
Badran stressed the importance of the royal visit's outcomes not stopping at agreements, calling for continuous follow-up on implementation, suggesting that the meeting become an annual occasion for accountability and follow-up, saying "the time has come for this journey to be sustainable," ensuring that political understandings are translated into practical projects and programs.
For his part, Chairman of the Media and National Guidance Committee at the Senate Mohammad Daoudiyeh affirmed that the recent royal visit to China "constituted an opportunity to open new horizons for relations of friendship and cooperation," noting that the coming phase requires translating its outcomes into tangible areas of cooperation, alongside anticipated visits by Chinese trade, investment, and tourism delegations to Jordan.
Daoudiyeh noted that political relations between the two countries are based on common ground on several issues, foremost among them the Palestinian cause, affirming the importance of China's role in supporting a just and comprehensive peace, the two-state solution, and rejecting displacement, settlement expansion, and annexation, and strengthening regional stability.
Economically, the content of the Jordanian report showed that expanding the partnership requires moving from traditional trade to areas more closely linked to investment, production, and technology, while education, scientific research, and cultural exchange emerged as spaces that could give relations a more sustainable dimension.
Researcher at the Center for Strategic Studies Dr. Tamara Al-Zreiqat said cultural and educational cooperation "deepens mutual understanding between the two peoples," noting the existence of opportunities for academic exchange between Jordanian and Chinese universities, as well as the presence of Chinese students in Jordan and Jordanian students in China.
She added that technology represents a promising area for partnership, especially in artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, where Chinese technological expertise meets Jordanian human competencies and capabilities, through scientific research, teaching programs, exchange of expertise, and cooperation between universities and research centers.
In the same context, research assistant at the center Bilal Al-Adaileh noted that the challenge is no longer merely expanding scientific and technological cooperation, but "moving from participating in technology to localizing knowledge and building capacities," while strengthening institutional frameworks for academic and cultural communication.
On the Arab level, the report concluded that the future of Chinese Arab relations is linked to shared motivations, but also to economic and institutional constraints tied to the nature of the relations themselves, noting that US-China competition, despite its importance, is not alone sufficient to explain the trajectory of Arab Chinese relations.
The report presented three scenarios for the future, including integration in strategic fields and selective expansion, with the multi-field selective expansion path considered the most likely.
In this context, practical proposals emerged in the discussion for strengthening educational and technological partnership, including a call to establish a Jordanian Chinese digital technical university, linking higher education to the needs of industry and technology, and enabling the building of joint pathways in digital and technical fields.
Other contributions also raised the need for economic cooperation to shift from importing products and assembly toward investment and joint production, making use of cooperation agreements and development zones to establish Jordanian industries with Chinese partnerships, in a way that raises local added value and strengthens Jordan's ability to access other markets.
Resource: Al-Ghad. Reporting: Iman Al-Fares
