InanexclusiveinterviewwithChinaTodayontheoccasionofthe30thanniversaryoftheestablishmentofdiplomaticrelations,Al-MansourishedlightonsomeaspectsofthedevelopmenttrackofChinese-Qatarirelationsovertheyears,sayingthatasolidfoundationforcementingtheserelationshasbeenlaidasaresultofaseriesofmutualvisitsandexchangesthathaveyieldedjointcooperationagreementsspanningvariousfieldsrangingfromeconomy,tradeandfinancetocultureandsports.
ThehistoricvisitoftheEmirofQatar,TamimbinHamadAlThani,toChinainNovember2014,wasacrucialpointinthecourseofbuildingtheserelations,saidAlMansouri.
Thevisit,headded,producedaclearandcompleteunderstandingbetweentheleadershipofbothcountriestofurtherpromotebilateralrelations.Asaresult,astrategicpartnershipagreementwasinked,alongwiththesigningofanotheragreementthatsawQatarjoiningtheeffortsaimedatboostingthethennewlylaunchedBeltandRoadInitiative.
Qatar’sdrivetoconsolidateitsrelationswithChinastemsfromitsbeliefinthenecessityofnetworkingAsiancountrieswithstrongandsolidpartnerships,andmostimportantly,inChina’sincreasinglyimportanteconomic,political,andtechnologicalstatusontheglobalstage,AlMansouripointedout.
QatarhasundoubtedlyreapednumerousandplentifulfruitsduetoitsstrategicpartnershipwithChina,saidtheambassador,citingawiderangeofcooperationareasthatextendfromtheongoingexportofQatarigastoChina,tojointinfrastructureconstructionprojectsandChineseinvestmentsinQatar,andgoingthroughconstructiveandpositiveexchangesintheeducationandculturaldomains.
“Therehasbeencomprehensivedevelopment.Wehavewitnessedthatsince2014.NowtheChinesepeopleknowmoreaboutQatar.ThroughHamadInternationalAirport,QatarAirwayshastransportedChinesepeopleallovertheworldonboarditsplanes,flyingtosevendestinationsinChina.”
AlMansouritookprideinQatar’scommitmenttoprovidingChinawithliquefiednaturalgas(LNG)intheframeworkofastabletraderelationshipthatstartedin1999.
HeelaboratedthatChinaisincreasinglyinclinedtoreducedependenceontraditionalsourcesofenergy,suchascoal,asitstrivestoachievegreensustainableeconomicdevelopment,whichmakesQatar’ssupplyofnaturalgas,whichisacleangas,morevitalinlightofhelpingChinacoveritsgrowingneedstodiversifyenergysourcesandshifttocleanandrenewableenergy,thuscontributingtoitssustainablegreendevelopment.
Inthiscontext,AlMansourireiterated“Qatar’sconstantreadinesstomeetChina’sgasneeds,evenbeyondwhatisagreedupon,”referringalsototheongoingcooperationinthefieldofexportingpetrochemicalproductstoChinaandChineseinvestmentinoilexplorationinQatar.
TheambassadorpointedoutthatChinaisQatar’sfourthlargesttradingpartnerandsecondlargestimporterofQatariexports.ThetradevolumebetweenthetwocountriesexceededUS$11billionin2017,withUS$7.7billionworthofChineseexportsandUS$2billioninQatariexports.
AlMansouriwentontoreviewotherareasofeconomiccooperationwithChina,sayingthattherearecurrentlyabout180largeandmedium-sizedChinesecompaniesoperatingandinvestinginQatarinthefieldsofinfrastructure,technology,communications,education,andfinance.
ChiefamongthesecompaniesareChinaHarborEngineeringCompanyLtd.,whichbuiltandisoperatingHamadPort,oneofthelargestportsintheMiddleEast,andHuaweiTechnologiesCo.Ltd.,whichhas,togetherwithQatar’sleadingcommunicationsoperator(Ooredoo),launchedafifth-generation(5G)networkthroughthe3.5GHzSpectruminQatar,thefirstintheworldtolaunchtheservicecommercially.
Ontheotherhand,QataricompaniesarealsoengagedininvestmentbusinessinChinaunderthestate-runQatarInvestmentAuthority,withtheinvestmentvalueestimatedatapproximatelyUS$15billion,accordingtoAlMansouri.TheseincludejointinvestmentswithChinesecompaniesinthesectorsoffinance,e-commerce,andtheInternet,includingthosewithprivatelyownedcompaniessuchasAlibabaandBaidu.
Intermsoftourismcooperation,AlMansouriaffirmedQatar’sdesiretoattractthetravelandleisurelovingChinesetotheQataritourismmarket,notingthatQatarhaswaivedentryvisarequirementsforChinesecitizens,withChinajoiningQatar’slistof80countrieswhosecitizenscanentertheGulfstatevisa-free.
“WeusedtoseeChinesetravelersonlymakingtransfersatHamadAirport.NowtheyconsiderQatarasatraveldestinationwheretheycanexplorealotofthings,learnabouttouristsites,anddoshoppinginQatar,amongmanyotheractivitiesincludingsportsandculturaleventsthatareheldallovertheyear,”saidAlMansouri.
HestressedthatQatar’stourismagenciesareexertingeffortstocreateaChinese-friendlyenvironmentathotelsandothertourismfacilitiestomakeitmoreappealingtotheuniquetasteandcultureofChinesetouristsandtravelers,includingprovidingservicesintheChineselanguage,teaandspecificdishes,whichareindispensablefortheChinesepeoplewherevertheygo.
China,ontheotherhand,isalsoaveryattractivetouristdestinationfortheQataris,whomainlyheadtoShanghaiandsouthernChinesecitiestoenjoythevarioustouristattractions,saidAlMansouri,expressinghishopethatthenumberofQataritouriststoChinawillincreaseonceChina’sentry-visaexemptionforQatarinationalscomesintoeffectlaterthisyear.
InhiscommentonwhethertherearepointsofconvergencethatcanbebuiltupontoforgeabasisforcooperationbetweentheQatarNationalVision2030(QNV2030)fordevelopmentandtheBeltandRoadInitiative,andtolinkthesetwoprojectsinawaytosetupaunifieddevelopmentstrategytothebestinterestsofbothsides,AlMansourisaidQNV2030isaveryambitiousprojectaimedatdiversifyingsourcesofincomeforQatartoreducedependenceongasandoil,whichmightrunoutoneday.
“Initsconceptofdevelopment,QatarVision2030isprettymuchinlinewiththeconceptofdevelopmentupheldbytheBeltandRoadInitiative,primarilyintermsofthepursuitofeconomic,human,social,cultural,andenvironmentaldevelopment,”saidtheambassador,stressingthatthereareplentyofpromisingopportunitiestounifydevelopmentstrategiesandcementcooperationbetweenthetwocountriesinthisframework.
AlMansouridescribedtheBeltandRoadInitiativeas“noble,”asitsfruitsaremeanttobenefitnotjustChina,butallAsianandothercountriesalongtheroutes,“therefore,QatarwasoneofthefirstcountriestosupporttheinitiativeoutofitsbeliefintheneedtobackupalleffortsthatwouldcontributetotherejuvenationofallcountriesofAsia.”
Morethan500rareculturalrelicsfromthefamedAlThaniCollectionareondisplayatthePalaceMuseuminBeijingonApril17,2018.Qatarhasengagedinallthemechanismsunderpinningthefoundationoftheinitiative,andwasamongthefirstcountriestojointheAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBank,saidAlMansouri.
OneresultoftheChinese-Qataricooperationinthisframework,headded,wastheestablishinginApril2015ofaRenminbiclearingcenterinQatar,thefirstofitskindintheMiddleEastandNorthAfrica,withthecapitalofRMB30billion.
AlMansouridescribedthisstepasveryimportantasithelpspromotetrade,encourageinvestmentintheChinesecurrency,andfacilitatefinancialtransactionsbetweenQatarandChinaontheonehand,andbetweentheregionandtherestofsouthwesternAsiaontheother.
FinancialcooperationalsoincludedopeningbranchesofChinesebanksinQatar,suchastheIndustrialandCommercialBankofChina(ICBC),andthePeople’sBankofChina(PBOC),theambassadorsaid.
ChinaandQatararealsoconnectedthroughanetworkofcooperationlinesinvariousinvestmentandinfrastructureprojectsandotherareas.ThoseincludeopeningthefirstregulardirectshippingroutebetweenHamadPortandShanghaiin2017,whichhelpsreducethesailingtimeandincreasesthehandlingvolumeofcontainerscomingtoQatarfromtheFarEast,SoutheastAsia,andSoutheastIndia.
AlMansourialsodescribedtheprojectoftheconstructionofLusailFootballStadiumasoneofthemostimportantChineseprojectsinQatar.Theiconic80,000seaterstadium,whichiscurrentlyunderconstructionincooperationwithChinaRailwayConstructionCorporationLimited(CRCC),isexpectedtobethelargestintheworld,andwillbeusedfortheopeningandfinalgamesofthe2022FIFAWorldCuptobeheldinQatar.
CommentingontheculturaltiesbetweenChinaandQatar,AlMansourihighlylaudedtheimportanceandsuccessoftheChina-Qatar2016YearofCulture,duringwhichChineseartsandsilkexhibitions,open-airChinesefestivals,movieweeks,andeducationalprogramswerefeatured,amongotheractivities.
“WesoughttobringtheChineseculturetoQatarandhelptheQatariswholovethisculturegetcloselyacquaintedwithit.WemanagedtotransferintoQatarvariousartifactsandvaluabletreasuresofChineseheritage,includingtheChineseterracottawarrior,whichtheQatarisgottoseetherealobjectsforthefirsttime,afterknowingthemonlyfromimages,”AlMansourisaid.
TheQatariambassadorsaidthatinthesameyear,QatarorganizedculturalactivitiesandexhibitionsinChina,ontopbeingthePearlJewelryExhibitionheldatBeijingNationalMuseum.
“Theyear2016gaveimpetustoculturalexchangesbetweenthetwosides,whichcontinuedinthefollowingyears,”saidAlMansouri,referringtotheAlThaniJewelryExhibitionheldintheForbiddenCityinBeijingthatfeaturesadazzlingcollectionofroyalpiecesfromdifferentplacesoftheworld,spanningvariousperiodsoftime.
TheQatariambassadorspokeofacademicandeducationalcooperationbindinghiscountryandChina,referringtothestandingstudentandacademicexchangeprogramsbetweenQatarUniversityandanumberofChineseuniversities,includingPekingUniversity,andotheruniversitiesinShanghai.
HealsopointedouttothePekingUniversity-basedQatari-fundedchairforArabiclanguagehigherstudies,establishedin2014,andtheongoingeffortstoopenaConfuciusInstituteinQatar.
TheQatariambassadortooktheopportunitythroughtheinterviewtoexpresshishopeanddeterminationtotakeadvantageofthecoincidingoccurrenceofthe30thanniversaryoftheestablishmentofChina-Qatardiplomaticrelationsandthe40thanniversaryofChina’sreformandopening-uppolicytotheeffectofpushingforwardthedevelopmentofChinese-Qatarirelationsandyieldmoremutuallybeneficialoutcomes.