Doha, Qatar: Ambassador of People’s Republic of China to Qatar, H E Cao Xiaolin has said that Qatar-China relations are at their best in history, with enormous potentials and broad prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

On regional tension, he said that the regional situation is currently at a critical juncture between war and peace. “China believes that achieving a comprehensive ceasefire is an urgent priority, that any resumption of hostilities would be highly undesirable, and that adherence to dialogue and negotiation is particularly important,” he said in a media briefing yesterday.

Talking on bilateral ties, he said that political mutual trust between the two countries has continued to deepen. “H E President Xi and Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani have reached a series of important common understandings on advancing the China-Qatar strategic partnership. These understandings have served as a blueprint for bilateral friendship and cooperation.”

Over the years, he said, China and Qatar have supported each other in pursuing a development path suited to their respective national conditions and have firmly supported each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns.

“China supports Qatar in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security, and stability. Following the outbreak of US-Israel war on Iran, Chinese Foreign Minister H E Wang Yi held phone conversations with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. China condemned indiscriminate attacks against civilians and non-military targets, stressed that the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of the Gulf Arab countries should be respected.

"And supported Gulf countries in taking the future and destiny of the region into their own hands.”

Highlighting bilateral economic ties, Ambassador Xiaolin said that cooperation across various fields between China and Qatar has yielded fruitful results. “Since 2020, China has remained Qatar’s largest trading partner and largest export destination. Bilateral trade volume increased from $10.6bn in 2014 to $23.81bn in 2025, an increase of nearly 125%.”

Practical cooperation between China and Qatar, he observed, has centred on energy cooperation, focused on infrastructure development, and cultivated new growth drivers in financial investment and high technology. “It is worth noting that since last year, Chinese automobiles have become increasingly popular among Qatari families.”

He revealed, “We are pleased to see that Chinese brands accounted for more than 30% of passenger vehicle sales in Qatar in 2025. We believe Chinese automobiles will provide the Qatari people with more convenient and more comfortable travel experiences.”

He further said that China-Qatar cooperation has been highly complementary and mutually beneficial. “The two countries also enjoy broad prospects for cooperation in such fields as food security, renewable energy, and artificial intelligence, which will further benefit both peoples. People-to-people ties and cultural exchanges between the two countries have become closer and closer. More and more young people in Qatar are learning Chinese and developing a strong interest in Chinese culture. Many Qatari students have travelled to China to participate in the “Chinese Bridge” summer camp program, while the Qatar Leadership Center has organized study visits to China last year and this year.”

On growth of number of Chinese visiting Qatar, he said that Doha has become a popular destination for Chinese tourists. “In 2025, the number of Chinese visitors coming to Qatar reached 132,000, a year-on-year increase of 28%. I’m confident that, after the situation in the Middle East stabilizes, more Chinese tourists will continue to visit Qatar.”

Highlighting China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, Ambassador Xiaolin said that in March this year, China successfully convened the National People’s Congress in Beijing which approved The 15th Five-Year Plan for economic and social development. “The Plan sets out 20 major indicators in five key areas; outlines a series of major strategic tasks across 16 sectors, and identifies 109 major projects. It provides a top-level design for China’s development over the next five years.”

He said that the Plan has compatible development vision with Qatar’s National Vision 2030 in areas such as sustainable development, technological innovation, and improving people’s livelihoods. “China and Qatar share common aspirations and complementary strengths on the path toward national prosperity and rejuvenation, and the prospects for expanding bilateral cooperation are highly promising and full of potential.”

He also said that the one-China principle is the political foundation for China’s establishment of diplomatic relations with other countries and has become a basic norm of international relations and a widely recognized consensus of the international community. “To date, 183 countries, including Qatar, have established diplomatic relations with China on the basis of the one-China principle. China highly appreciates the position of Qatar and stands ready to work with Qatar to render mutual support on issues concerning each other’s core interests.”

On regional tensions, he said the situation in the Middle East remains highly complex and turbulent, and the conflict between the US-Israel and Iran has dealt a serious blow to the security and stability of countries across the region. “As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and a responsible major country, China has consistently made substantive efforts to promote peace talks and de-escalation. Chinese Foreign Minister H E Wang Yi has held nearly 30 meetings and phone conversations with foreign ministers of various countries.”

In March 2026, he said, China and Pakistan jointly put forward a five-point initiative on restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and the broader Middle East region, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the early launch of peace negotiations, protection of non-military targets, safeguarding the passage security of the Strait of Hormuz, and upholding the primary authority of the United Nations Charter.

On recent visit of US President Trump to China, he said that China-US relations have reached a new starting point. “This is the first visit to China by a US President in nine years. It is a continuation and strengthening of the good momentum in the interactions between the two presidents.” He said that in-depth discussions between President Xi and President Trump have produced fruitful outcomes.

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