BEIJING, May 19 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a congratulatory message to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the rotating president of the Council of the Arab League (AL), on the convening of the 32nd AL Summit in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

Noting that the Arab League has long been committed to building a stronger Arab world through unity, and advancing peace, stability and development in the Middle East, Xi said that he is glad to see that Arab countries have continuously taken new steps and made new achievements on the path of unity and self-improvement.

The Chinese president expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia, which has, as an important force in a multi-polar world, made positive contributions to strengthening solidarity and coordination among Arab countries and maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East.

The traditional friendship between China and the Arab countries has spanned thousands of years and been growing ever stronger as time goes by, Xi stressed, noting that in recent years, the strategic partnership between the two sides has been developing continuously and achieved fruitful results, which has become a model of South-South cooperation and mutual benefit.

The first China-Arab States Summit was successfully held in Riyadh in December last year, Xi noted, adding that the leaders of China and Arab countries unanimously agreed to make all-out efforts to build a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era, strengthen solidarity and coordination, promote their respective national rejuvenation, advance regional peace and development, and uphold international equity and justice. That is an epoch-making milestone in the development of China-Arab relations, he stressed.

Looking to the future, Xi said, China is ready to work with Arab countries to carry forward the spirit of China-Arab friendship, implement the outcomes of the first China-Arab States Summit, bring the China-Arab strategic partnership to a higher level, and continue to write new chapters in China-Arab friendship.