BEIJING, May 17 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message on Saturday to Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, the rotating chairperson of the Council of Heads of the League of Arab States, extending his congratulations on the convening of the 34th Arab League Summit in Baghdad.

Xi noted that over the past 80 years since its establishment, the League of Arab States has always been committed to promoting unity and self-strengthening of the Arab world, voicing actively the shared concerns of Arab states, and promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Middle East.

At present, Xi said, the world is undergoing accelerating changes unseen in a century, and the situation in the Middle East is evolving in a complex way.

Arab countries' adherence to independence and autonomy, promotion of development and rejuvenation, and safeguarding of fairness and justice, have played an active role in advancing the influence of the Global South, he said.

Xi noted that the vigorous development of the relations between China and Arab states over recent years has set an example of unity and cooperation among developing countries.

Xi said he and Arab leaders agreed to commit efforts to build a China-Arab community with a shared future for the new era at the initial China-Arab States Summit in December 2022, and he believes that the second summit to be held in China in 2026 will mark another significant milestone in the history of China-Arab ties.

Noting that China and Arab countries have consistently viewed their relationships from the strategic and long-term perspectives, Xi said that looking ahead, China will remain a trustworthy friend and partner for them, standing firmly on the side of the just cause of Arab states.

China is willing to work with Arab states to deepen mutual political trust, push mutually beneficial cooperation, increase people-to-people and cultural exchanges, join hands on the path towards their each own modernization and build a higher-level China-Arab community with a shared future, said the Chinese president.