Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, met with Arab representatives attending the 11th China-Arab States Civilizations Dialogue in Beijing on Wednesday.
Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said that under the strategic guidance of leaders from both China and Arab countries, their relations have entered the best period in history.
He also noted that China is willing to work with Arab countries to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of both sides, deepen exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, implement the four major global initiatives, and jointly build a China-Arab community with a shared future for the new era.
Li also introduced the spirit of the fourth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC.
Arab representatives expressed their willingness to deepen dialogue and exchanges with China on civilizations, saying that they will learn from China's development experience, and jointly build a community with a shared future between the two sides.
Senior Chinese legislator meets Arab representatives attending 11th China-Arab States Civilizations Dialogue
Senior Chinese legislator meets Arab representatives attending 11th China-Arab States Civilizations Dialogue
Gas prices at pumps in the United States surged above four U.S. dollars a gallon for the first time since the summer of 2022, reaching a record high in nearly four years, data from the American Automobile Association (AAA) showed on Tuesday.
According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline in the United States has risen by about one dollar since last month, reaching 4.018.
The price of diesel hit 5.454 U.S. dollars per gallon, up 45 percent in a month.
In California, the largest U.S. state economy, the average gas price stood at 5.887 U.S. dollars per gallon and the average cost of a gallon of diesel reached an all-time high of 7.455 U.S. dollars on Tuesday, as per AAA.
The growing gas price has become a challenge for local car owners in Los Angeles, California, as many of them saying they are cutting back on driving and changing daily habits.
"The only reason why I came here was convenience. I was completely out of gas, and on 'empty.' But this is crazy expensive. So, normally, I would never come to a gas station this expensive, and I'd look for cheaper gas," said Cindy Devereaux, a local resident.
"I commute a lot, so, I'm paying like 30 dollars more in the prices that I used to pay. So, it's really taking a toll on my wallet, and it's not a good look for the economy. I think this is just the beginning. I honestly think it's going to get worse, and we're just seeing the beginnings of this. And, yeah, I think we're heading into a crisis," another local resident Scarlett Zamora said.
Given the oil price hikes caused by the war in Iran, consumers' median 12-month inflation expectations in March surged, according to a Conference Board report on Tuesday.
The report showed that consumers' median 12-month inflation expectations in March stood at 5.2 percent, higher than the 4.5 percent reading in February.
Meanwhile, U.S. Consumer Confidence Index rose to 91.8 in March, up from 91.0 in February, the report said.
US gas prices reach record high in nearly 4 years
