China voices support for Arab nations' unity, development: Chinese premier

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Wednesday in Cairo that China supports Arab countries in strengthening strategic autonomy, enhancing unity and self-reliance, and pursuing development paths suited to their own national conditions.

Li is on an official visit to the Middle East country at the invitation of Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Kamal Madbouly.

During his meeting with Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit on Wednesday, Li said that China has always viewed and developed its relations with Arab nations from a strategic perspective and firmly supports their just cause.

Noting that China and Arab countries are trustworthy friends and good partners, Li said that at present, under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the leaders of Arab countries, China-Arab relations have entered their best period in history.

China is willing to strengthen friendly ties with the AL, enhance strategic mutual trust with Arab countries, deepen cooperation across various fields, work together to advance modernization, and build a higher-level China-Arab community with a shared future, he said.

Li said that China is ready to further align its development strategies with Arab countries and jointly proceed with their high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

He called on the two sides to expand cooperation in energy, economy and trade, investment and financing, as well as aerospace and other fields, and explore cooperation potential in emerging fields such as new energy, artificial intelligence, digital economy and blue economy.

The Chinese side is also ready to work with Arab countries to promote the coordinated development of landmark flagship projects and "small but beautiful" projects to better benefit the people of both sides.

Both sides, Li said, should enhance dialogue among civilizations and people-to-people exchanges, deepen cooperation among youths, think tanks, universities, as well as in culture and tourism, and explore the implementation of more measures to facilitate personnel exchanges, so as to boost people-to-people bonds.

The Chinese side is ready to enhance communication and coordination with Arab countries on platforms such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the World Trade Organization and the Group of 20, demonstrate the common will and speak in a common voice, so as to promote a more just and equitable global governance system, Li said.

Li also expressed his hope that the AL will continue to play an important role in advancing the development of China-Arab relations and jointly ensure the second China-Arab States Summit next year a success.

For his part, Aboul-Gheit said China is a good friend and good partner of Arab countries, adding that Arab-China relations enjoy a good momentum of development and practical cooperation has achieved fruitful results.

He said the Arab side firmly supports the one-China principle, as well as the Belt and Road Initiative and the three global initiatives proposed by President Xi.

Congratulating China on its remarkable development achievements, Aboul-Gheit said the Arab side is grateful for China's support for the economic and social development of Arab states, and stands ready to work with China to deepen political mutual trust, firmly support each other, and deepen exchanges and cooperation in such areas as trade, investment and people-to-people ties under the framework of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum.

The Arab side stands ready to work with China to continue to implement the outcomes of the first China-Arab States Summit and to jointly make the second summit a success, he said.

Aboul-Gheit said the Arab side highly appreciates China's consistent support for Arab states on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, and is willing to strengthen multilateral coordination with China to jointly safeguard multilateralism and promote world peace and development.

China voices support for Arab nations' unity, development: Chinese premier

The U.S. military strike against Venezuela and capture of its president, Nicolas Maduro, has shocked the international community, triggering a steady stream of condemnation and serious concerns worldwide.

Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay and Spain issued a joint statement on Sunday, expressing serious concern about and firm opposition to the U.S. unilateral military operations in Venezuela.

The U.S. actions contravene fundamental principles of international law, particularly the prohibition on the use or threat of force, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, as enshrined in the UN Charter, constituting an extremely dangerous precedent against peace and regional security, according to the statement.

In expressing profound concern and firm rejection, the six countries stressed in the statement that the situation in Venezuela must be resolved exclusively by peaceful means, and through dialogue, negotiation and respect for the will of the Venezuelan people in all its expressions, without external interference and in accordance with international law.

Only an inclusive political process, led by Venezuelans, can lead to a democratic, sustainable solution that respects human dignity, according to the statement.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned the U.S. raid in Venezuela as a violation of international law, adding that the Spanish government always advocates and defends international law and peaceful resolution of conflicts.

Addressing a meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez demanded the unconditional and immediate release of Maduro and his wife.

Noting that Latin America and the Caribbean are a zone of peace, he expressed his firm opposition to the use of force, which is an unshakable principle.

Any aggression against Venezuela shall be regarded as an attack against all CELAC member states, and nations must collectively oppose it, he stressed.

The South African government denounced the U.S. attack on Venezuela as a violation of international law, according to a statement released on Sunday.

History has repeatedly demonstrated that military invasions against sovereign states yield only instability and deepening crisis, the statement said.

South Africa calls on the UN Security Council to urgently convene a session to address this situation, according to the statement.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said what happened in Venezuela demonstrates that international law and the UN Charter are losing their practical effectiveness.

U.S. military action against Venezuela marks a dangerous precedent, as similar actions could be taken against any other nations, he said.

In addition, the foreign ministries of Namibia, Singapore, Oman and Pakistan also issued statements on the same day, expressing grave concern over U.S. interference in Venezuela's internal affairs.

They emphasized the need to uphold international law and the principles of the UN Charter while respecting Venezuela's sovereignty.

They also called on all parties to exercise restraint and resolve the crisis through peaceful dialogue.

U.S. move against Venezuela sparks condemnation, concerns worldwide