Arab League chief meets Chinese FM over Mideast situation

Arab League chief Amr Moussa met on Monday with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing over the volatile Mideast situation.

The two men discussed the latest developments in regional and international arenas and means to boost Sino-Arab ties.

Li, who will attend the first ministerial meeting of the Sino-Arab Cooperation Forum on Tuesday, said that the Chinese government has placed great importance on inaugurating such a forum, a common consensus reached by Chinese President Hu Jintao and Arab leaders early this year.

"China will as always work with the Arab League to enable the forum to be a platform for strengthening collective dialogue between China and the Arab world and deepening Sino-Arab cooperation," he said.

For his part, Moussa said that the forum would help usher in a new chapter of Sino-Arab friendship and cooperation.

Earlier in the day, the top Chinese diplomat met with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Abul Gheit. Li is also expected to be received by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria on Tuesday.

Egypt is the last stop of Li's current Mideast trip, which has taken him to Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman.