(H.E. Lyu Jian, Ambassador of China to Oman)

Good morning!

It is my great pleasure to join you during this vibrant monsoon season in beautiful Salalah – the "City of Frankincense" – to participate in the China-Oman Friendship and Cooperation Forum. Since assuming my post seven months ago, this ancient land has left me deeply inspired. I was honored to present credentials to His Majesty Sultan Haitham, profoundly moved by his emphasis on enhancing our relations. I have visited Omani government departments, universities, and museums, toured the magnificent Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, explored Nizwa Fort and the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, and celebrated the inaugural Omani Rutab Festival with the people of South Batinah. When I hear Omani youth greet me with "Nǐ hǎo" at cultural events – alongside seeing Chinese electric vehicles on your roads – I witness our friendship flourishing with renewed vitality.

This Forum's birth stems from shared aspirations. Throughout our preparations this year – whether meeting Omani friends or consulting Chinese enterprises – one consistent theme emerged: our collective desire to enhance practical cooperation. Building on previous Friendship Forums, the word "Cooperation" was incorporated into its good name. We hope to shape this forum into a platform for dialogue between companies, policymakers, and stakeholders, aims to deliver tangible outcomes, thus contribute to accelerating practical cooperation between our two countries.

Today’s theme – "Chinese Modernization and Oman Vision 2040: Our actions and suggestions" – reflects the forum’s forward-looking spirit. I urge everyone to seize this opportunity for open dialogue and joint planning, injecting strong new momentum into the long-standing friendship between China and Oman!

Dear friends, Chinese Modernization is an Opportunity for Oman’s Development. In 2022, President Xi Jinping proposed comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese Modernization — a concept rich in meaning and of global significance. This path of modernization is unique: it is pursued in a country with a massive population, aims to achieve common prosperity for all, promotes the coordinated development of material and spiritual civilization, seeks harmony between humanity and nature, and firmly follows the path of peaceful development. In the face of accelerating global changes unseen in a century and an increasingly complex and volatile international landscape, China has remained steadfast in pursuing its own development path, committed to peaceful development and win-win cooperation. 

After decades of dedicated efforts, China has built strong foundations in economic infrastructure, technological innovation, manufacturing capabilities, and market scale. China now possesses the most complete industrial system in the world. It leads the world in smart manufacturing, with 78 “Lighthouse Factories” — the highest number globally. In cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, China is a frontrunner: nearly 70% of global patents for foundational AI models originate from China, and more than 42% of 5G standard-essential patents declared globally are held by Chinese entities. At the same time, China’s green energy transition has entered a phase of acceleration. Nearly 60% of its installed power generation capacity now comes from non-fossil fuel sources. As Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, once noted: "China is the only major economy in the world that has achieved rapid economic growth while significantly reducing emissions."

Friends, We Chinese often refer to the Yellow River as the mother river thus serving as a symbol of our nation. Chinese modernization is like the endless snowmelt from the Tianshan Mountains, continuously revitalizing this ancient river. No matter how rugged the terrain or harsh the climate, its mighty current surges forward ceaselessly—nourishing the children of China while bringing greenery to the world.

China and Oman are good friends and reliable partners. Our friendship dates back to 1200 years ago. Since the establishment of diplomatic relationship in 1978, we have consistently upheld shared moral values, treat each other with mutual respect, and pursue win-win cooperation, maintaining a high level of political mutual trust. In 2018, China and Oman established strategic partnership and signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative Cooperation. In 2022, China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era and China-GCC strategic partnership were announced at the first China-Arab States Summit and the China-GCC Summit, which gave great momentum to this relationship.

China has been actively implementing the outcomes of the summits and advancing practical cooperation. In 2024, the trade volume between China and GCC countries reached $288 billion, making China the GCC's largest trading partner. China's investment in GCC countries has maintained robust growth. In the first half of 2025, Chinese investment in GCC nations surged by over 30%, with particularly notable expansions in energy and  digital economy—far exceeding the overall growth rate of 20.7% in Belt and Road Initiative investments.

Now, China stands steady as the largest trading partner of Oman, with bilateral trade volume reaching 36.7 billion US dollars in 2024. China is also the third largest investor of Oman. Our collaboration shines through projects like November 2024's successful launch of Oman's first satellite, strategic energy infrastructure including Oman's largest power transmission project, and the Manah Solar Project reducing annual emissions by one million tonnes. Over 1200 Omani technicians and executives have received specialized training through programs by China's Ministry of Commerce and companies like Huawei.

Into the new era, Oman Vision 2040 proposed by His Majesty Sultan Haitham has charted a clear course for the nation's future development. To China, Oman's strategic advantages extend beyond its unique location and stable environment to include thriving economic zones and other assets. China and Oman are like minds as we share core values in blending heritage with modern governance, prioritizing green transition, and championing dialogue. This alignment makes China Oman’s natural partner in achieving Vision 2040, and Oman possesses full potential and should indeed play a more important role in cooperation with China under the Belt and Road Initiative. 

Distinguished guests, China and Oman are truly kindred spirits—companions and steadfast partners on the path of development. President Xi Jinping and Sultan Haitham attach great importance to developing bilateral relations, providing strategic leadership and encouraging pragmatic cooperation. Since the beginning of this year, they have exchanged letters and had active interactions many times. Guided by the strategic leadership of the two heads of state, we therefore strive to realize the development blueprints of our respective countries. Deepening cooperation for mutual benefit is our shared optimal choice. To implement the outcomes of the China-Arab States Summit and the China-GCC Summit, we must be steadfast doers. 

As Arabic wisdom goes "Time is gold"–compels us to act. With the second China-Arab States Summit approaching, let us use this forum as a platform to accelerate business matchmaking and strive to propel practical China-Oman cooperation into fast gear. To this end, I would like to propose the following concrete suggestions:

First, Accelerate Policy Integration. We must jointly expedite implementation of the China-GCC Free Trade Agreement, creating freer, more predictable trade conditions. Simultaneously, we should enhance mutual recognition of standards – particularly in product quality, technical regulations, and conformity assessment – to eliminate non-tariff barriers.

Second, Accelerate Innovation Synergy. We should expand joint R&D and industrial collaboration in new energy, IT, AI, and space technology. China stands ready to enhance cooperation in government capacity-building and vocational training, developing Omani specialists to support industrialization.

Third, Accelerate Green Financing. Financial institutions are encouraged to establish cross -border branches, strengthening collaboration to provide diversified green financing for clean energy, green infrastructure, and energy efficiency projects – accelerating Oman's green transition.

Forth, Accelerate Digital Transformation. We propose signing a framework agreement on digital economy cooperation while encouraging enterprises to explore collaborations in smart cities and digital healthcare – cultivating new cooperation drivers.

Meanwhile, We should enhance People-to-People Exchange. China has already implemented unilateral visa exemption for Oman, opening new doors for personnel exchanges. As a next step, we should work jointly to expedite the launch of direct flights between our countries – making "distant neighbors feel close." China will continue robust support for Chinese language education, with Dhofar University and four Omani high schools launching courses this year. We'll deepen cultural exchanges through tourism, museum collaborations, artistic performances, and media productions – allowing our unique cultures to resonate deeply and become a model of civilizational dialogue.

Friends, as we gather here to discuss cooperation, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza persists, testing the conscience of humanity. We commend Oman's longstanding commitment to a just stance on the Palestinian issue and its active mediation efforts to promote peace talks. China remains a steadfast promoter of peace in the Middle East, firmly supporting the "two-state solution." We call on relevant parties to immediately cease fire and hostilities, restore humanitarian access, and return to the right track of political settlement at the earliest possible date. Together with Oman and the international community, China stands ready to advance a comprehensive, just and lasting resolution of the Palestinian question on the basis of achieving an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

In conclusion, China and Oman are kindred spirits and steadfast partners. Under our leaders' strategic guidance and through our collective efforts, the China-Oman strategic partnership will embrace a brilliant future!

I wish this Forum complete success! Thank you.