Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Dr. Afrah Al-Zouba, held a virtual meeting today with Zhao Zheng, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China to Yemen, to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations and expand development and economic cooperation between the two friendly countries.

The meeting focused on activating the Memorandum of Understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), signed between the two countries in 2019, and exploring opportunities to benefit from China’s expertise in solar energy, infrastructure development, capacity building, and scholarship programmes.

The two sides also agreed on the importance of reactivating the Yemen–China Joint Committee for Economic and Technical Cooperation as the principal institutional mechanism for coordinating bilateral cooperation, while strengthening direct engagement with the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA).

Dr. Al-Zouba expressed the Yemeni government’s appreciation for China’s continued support and outlined the priorities of the government’s programme, highlighting opportunities for cooperation in renewable energy, electricity, port development, infrastructure, industrial zones, mining, and natural resources.

She reaffirmed that Yemen views China as an important strategic and development partner and emphasized that the Ministry stands ready to coordinate all aspects of bilateral cooperation with the Chinese side.

For his part, Zhao Zheng announced the Chinese government’s decision to provide a new development grant worth 50 million Chinese yuan to support Yemen’s reconstruction and development efforts, noting that arrangements would be made with the Ministry to finalize and sign the agreement.

He also announced that China has granted full tariff exemptions for all Yemeni products exported to the Chinese market, a measure expected to strengthen bilateral trade and create new opportunities for Yemeni exporters.

The Chargé d’Affaires further noted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Yemen and China and announced that China will host the Second China–Arab States Summit, expressing his hope for high-level Yemeni participation.

He reaffirmed China’s commitment to continuing its support for Yemen’s reconstruction efforts and expanding scholarship and training programmes in technology, medicine, agriculture, and public administration.