Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Monday sent a congratulatory letter to the China-Arab States Political Parties Dialogue Extraordinary Meeting, expressing the CPC's readiness to intensify strategic communication with political parties of Arab states.

Xi said China and Arab states enjoy an enduring friendship dating back to antiquity. Chinese and Arab peoples, erstwhile close companions along the ancient Silk Road, are working together to advance the Belt and Road cooperation to realize their common aspiration of national prosperity and rejuvenation.

"In the face of the unexpected COVID-19 outbreak, China and Arab states have rendered each other help and fought shoulder to shoulder, opening up a new chapter in building a community with a shared future for China and Arab states," he said in the letter.

"Having gone through this joint fight against the coronavirus, the China-Arab Strategic Partnership now enjoys an even stronger foundation, closer people-to-people friendship and brighter prospects for cooperation," he said.

Xi said the outbreak of COVID-19 has once again laid bare that the humanity share a common future. The CPC and the Chinese government have always put people and their lives first. Through its all-out efforts to save lives, China has scored major strategic achievements in epidemic control.

"China remains ready to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with Arab states and indeed the international community to support the World Health Organization's leading role and work together to build a global community of health for all," Xi said, noting that with openness, transparency and a sense of responsibility, China has pursued and promoted international cooperation in COVID-19 response and has done everything to the best of its ability to support and assist the international fight against the outbreak.

Xi said the China-Arab States Political Parties Dialogue is an important platform for party-to-party exchanges and cooperation between China and Arab states. Confronted with the new situation and new challenges in the wake of COVID-19, the CPC is willing to work side by side with political parties of Arab states to bring into better play the role of this platform through intensified strategic communication and sharing of governance experience against the backdrop of day-to-day epidemic prevention and control.

"In the spirit of mutual respect and mutual learning, we shall work tirelessly toward the building of community with a shared future for China and Arab states in the new era and the great rejuvenation for both the Chinese people and the Arab people," he said in the letter.

The three-day meeting, held through video link, opened Monday evening.

With the theme of jointly building a community with a shared future for China and Arab states in the new era, over 60 leaders of political parties from Arab states attended the meeting, and six leaders of Arab states including Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani addressed the meeting.

The Arab participants expressed their agreement with Xi's positive evaluation of the strategic partnership between China and Arab states, and highly appreciated the Chinese Party and government's adherence to putting people first in the fight against COVID-19 and actively promoting international cooperation on combating the pandemic.

The Arab participants thanked China for its consistent support for Arab countries in defending sovereignty and independence. They held that issues related to Hong Kong and Xinjiang are China's internal affairs, and opposed external forces' interference in China's internal affairs.

The Arab participants expressed their willingness to work with the CPC to strengthen strategic communication and mutual learning, and work together to build a community with a shared future for Arab states and China in the new era.