Ali El Abdallah, Delivering His Speech at the 140th Session of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair): China and the Arab World Have a Historic Opportunity to Strengthen Their Partnership Amid Global Geopolitical Turmoil
Ali El Abdallah, Delivering His Speech at the 140th Session of the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair):
China and the Arab World Have a Historic Opportunity to Strengthen Their Partnership Amid Global Geopolitical Turmoil
Video Link For watching the signing ceremony with the canton Fair: https://youtu.be/FAEEXoa1wME
Chinese Premier Li Qiang:
China remains committed to defending multilateralism and free trade and supporting reform of the World Trade Organization.
WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala:
China has achieved tremendous development accomplishments and offered valuable opportunities to the world.
Guangzhou, China – October 19, 2026 – “We are facing a historic opportunity, one that may not come again, to deepen our relations in a world witnessing unprecedented geopolitical turmoil. Partnership is the most important expression of the relationship between China and the Arab world at this stage. Indeed, it is our shared goal through which we seek to shape the future of our relations.”
With these words, Ali Mahmoud El Abdallah, President of the Lebanese Chinese Business Association, opened his speech representing the Arab world at the China Import and Export Fair, widely known as the Canton Fair, the world’s largest trade fair.
The event was inaugurated by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who delivered a speech emphasizing the importance of building international relations and establishing partnerships.
Regarded as one of the world's leading and largest trade fairs, the Canton Fair has been held for 70 years. Its current 140th session has attracted more than 32,000 companies and approximately 340,000 international buyers. The exhibition covers an area of 1.55 million square meters, with around 75,000 exhibition booths.
El Abdallah participated in the fair and its sessions alongside Lebanese Member of Parliament Mohammad Sleiman, a member of the Parliamentary Committee for National Economy, Trade, Industry and Planning. The event was attended by a large number of government officials and businesspeople from Lebanon and the Arab world, as well as public- and private-sector leaders from approximately 197 countries and regions.
During the opening ceremony, Chinese Premier Li Qiang conveyed a congratulatory message to attendees from Chinese President Xi Jinping, praising the achievements of the Canton Fair and reaffirming China's firm determination to expand its opening-up.
He emphasized China's continued commitment to standing on the right side of history, defending multilateralism and free trade, and supporting the reform and development of the World Trade Organization.
“Working together with all parties, China will explore and develop international trade and economic rules that meet the needs of the future, while promoting inclusive and equitable economic globalization that benefits everyone,” Li said.
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, also delivered a video address in which she highlighted China's tremendous achievements in development and the valuable opportunities it has provided to the world. She described the Canton Fair as an “important platform connecting China with the world.”
For his part, El Abdallah explained that he had come to China at the invitation of the fair's organizers to deliver the Arab world's address during the “Global Partner” session and participate in the signing of the renewed cooperation agreement between the Canton Fair organizers and the Lebanese Chinese Business Association. He noted that the renewal represented a reaffirmation of the trust placed in the Association and recognition of its track record and dedicated, systematic work.
“I have come from Lebanon carrying the greetings of the entire Arab world and its hopes for elevating Arab-Chinese relations. I have also come from Lebanon with deep appreciation for China, its people and its leadership. In Lebanon, we consider ourselves a people friendly to the loyal Chinese people. The shared history of our relations across civilizational, commercial and diplomatic spheres testifies to the deep roots of our friendship, particularly as we celebrate this month the 55th anniversary of the establishment of Lebanese-Chinese diplomatic relations,” he added.
He continued: “Our relations have moved beyond traditional trade exchanges, and I believe that today we have reached the right historic moment to transition toward a comprehensive partnership through economic integration, joint development and knowledge transfer.
“I do not believe we can discuss this partnership today without recognizing the exceptional role played by the Canton Fair. This longstanding exhibition is not merely a platform for commercial exchange; it is one of the most prominent and fundamental drivers of qualitative advances in trade relations between China and the Arab countries.
“For many years, the Lebanese Chinese Business Association has worked closely with the Canton Fair organizers on numerous projects, attracting Lebanese and Arab businesspeople to participate in the exhibition. This close relationship continued even during the COVID-19 period, when we cooperated in organizing remote participation for businesspeople.
“For decades, the Canton Fair has enabled Arab and Chinese companies to meet face-to-face, establish connections, and explore products, technologies, solutions and services. This has made the fair a vital trade bridge and a major platform for economic integration between China and the Arab world.”
Concluding his speech, El Abdallah said: “The figures speak for themselves when it comes to the depth of our partnership. Trade between China and the Arab countries has exceeded approximately US$400 billion, making China the leading trading partner of the Arab world.
“All 22 Arab countries have signed documents to join the Belt and Road Initiative, while related investments have reached tens of billions of dollars. According to some reports, the cumulative value of Chinese investments in the Middle East and North Africa between 2005 and 2023 reached approximately US$318 billion, accounting for 13.5% of China's total global investments during that period.
“From this platform at the Canton Fair and its Global Partner events, I call for the launch of a new Arab-Chinese partnership focused on joint development in artificial intelligence and advanced technology. This would represent the culmination of our partnership across numerous fields, including the development of smart ports and logistics corridors, the establishment of advanced industrial cities and renewable energy complexes, and the transfer and localization of knowledge through the joint training and qualification of human resources.
“We are facing a historic opportunity, one that may not come again, to deepen our relations in a world witnessing unprecedented geopolitical turmoil. Let us work together to strengthen a partnership built through hard work, perseverance and trust between China and the Arab world.”
