Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged on Tuesday more than $20 billion to Arab countries. He made the announcement during Beijing-hosted the 8th China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, which was attended by the leaders and representatives of 21 Arab countries, as well as Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit. The $23 billion will take the shape of lines of credit, loans and humanitarian assistance. Xi told the participants that Syria, Yemen, Jordan and Lebanon would receive $91 million in humanitarian assistance. Another $151 million was earmarked for aid projects, Xi said. The money will be dedicated for "projects that will produce good employment opportunities and positive social impact in Arab States that have reconstruction needs,” he added. It is part of a special Chinese program for "economic reconstruction" and "industrial revitalization," he told the gatherers at Beijings Great Hall of the People. "China and Arab states must synergize our development strategies in pursuit of our respective dream of rejuvenation," he added. Saudi Arabia was Chinas second-largest source of crude oil last year and Iraq was its third biggest supplier at the start of 2018. The Middle East is also a key node in Chinas "Belt and Road" initiative that envisages linking Beijing to other parts of Asia, Europe and Africa via a network of ports, railways, economic development zones and power plants. The $1-trillion infrastructure initiative is billed as a modern revival of the ancient Silk Road that once carried fabrics, spices and a wealth of other goods between Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. The Arab states position at the center of the ancient trade route makes them "natural partners" in Chinas new undertaking, Xi said, adding he expected the summit would end with an agreement on cooperation on the initiative. "Chinese and Arab peoples, though far apart in distance, are as close as family," he said, describing a romanticized history of trade along the Silk Road. "China welcomes opportunities to participate in the development of ports and the construction of railway networks in Arab states" as part of a "logistics network connecting Central Asia with East Africa and the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean," said Xi. The forum was attended by Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber al-Sabah, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and several other leaders will take part in the forum. Ahead of the summit, Abul Gheit had held talks on Monday with Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan. Abul Gheit’s spokesman Mahmoud Afifi said that the meeting discussed ways to achieve a qualitative leap in Chinese-Arab ties to build on the historic relations that already bind the Chinese and Arab regions. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri also held talks with Wang on Monday. The two officials addressed bilateral ties and ways to bolster them. Head of the Arab community in Guangzhou Ahmed Hassan al-Yafei noted that strategic cooperation between China and the Arab world increased with the establishment of the forum in 2004 that laid the groundwork for cooperation between the two sides in various fields. “China has a great desire to bolster mutual cooperation with Arab countries,” he stressed to Asharq Al-Awsat.