China and Arab countries are expected to explore new ways to reinforce their growing cooperation during the Fifth Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum, which opens on Thursday in the Tunisian city of Hammamet. Top diplomats from China and 17 Arab countries will also seize the opportunity to discuss issues of regional and international significance.

Established in 2004 during President Hu Jintao's visit to the headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo, the China-Arab Cooperation Forum has become a major platform for dialogue between China and Arab states and an indispensable vehicle for spearheading bilateral interaction. The meeting in Hammamet will inject new vitality into Sino-Arab ties and help shape a cooperative model featuring mutual benefits and mutual trust.

Over the years, the forum has promoted China-Arab exchanges and cooperation in such areas as energy, trade, telecommunications, infrastructure, culture, finance and the environment. The bilateral trade volume reached $195.9 billion in 2011, which was almost double the $100 billion target set at the first forum.