On May 30, 2012, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met respectively with Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed K. Amr, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti, Moroccan Foreign Minister Saad-Eddine Al-Othmani, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and Oman's Foreign Minister Youssef bin Alawi bin Abdullah. The foreign ministers were meeting ahead of the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to developing friendly ties with Arab countries and appreciates their valuable support on issues that concern China's core interests or are of China's major concern, Yang told the Arab top diplomats. China is willing to join hands with Arab countries to strengthen dialogues and cooperation, and to make this ministerial conference a success, Yang said.

The Arab foreign ministers hailed the progress in the Arab-China relations and praised the achievement scored by the China-Arab Cooperation Forum since its establishment in 2004. They expressed the hope that the two sides could further enhance their exchanges and cooperation in areas such as politics, trade and culture. They agreed that under the new international situation, it is particularly necessary to hold this ministerial conference and believed the meeting will be a success.

The ministers also exchanged views on respective bilateral ties and the international and regional issues of common concern.

Yang arrived in the eastern Tunisian seaside city of Hammamet on May 30 to attend the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum, which is scheduled for May 31.