BEIJING, Dec. 19 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping Monday sent a congratulatory letter to the fifth Arabic Arts Festival, which opened in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province.

In the letter, Xi lauded the long-lasting and ever stronger friendship between China and Arab states.

From the launch of the ancient Silk Road to the joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative, China and Arab states have been working hand in hand, yielding fruitful results in people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, Xi said.

Xi expressed the hope that the two sides can take the fifth Arabic Arts Festival as an opportunity to deliver on the outcomes of the first China-Arab States Summit.

He also hoped that the two sides can promote the Silk Road spirit, consolidate traditional friendship, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges, to inject lasting impetus to deepening the China-Arab strategic partnership and contribute to building a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era.

The fifth Arabic Arts Festival, which opened on Monday, is jointly organized by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the provincial government of Jiangxi, and the General Secretariat of the Arab League.