Beijing, Jumada II 17, 1433, May 8, 2012, SPA - Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping conferred here today with the visiting Arab League Secretary General Dr. Nabil Al-Arabi on means of strengthening Sino-Arab relations in various domains. During the meeting, they also discussed issues related to the Fifth Ministerial Meeting of the Forum on "China-Arab Cooperation," the latest developments of the Syrian crisis and the current situation between the Republic of Sudan and South Sudan as well as China's support for Arab causes, particularly the Palestinian issue. For his part, Vice President Xi Jinping said "China believes that this visit will have a positive impact in the promotion and development of its cooperation with Arab countries." He also praised the big efforts undertaken by the Arab League to promote stability in the Middle East and work to develop relations with China. Speaking at the meeting, Al-Arabi said the Arab-Chinese relations are improving constantly in all areas, and expressed optimism that there will be greater cooperation between the two sides in the future. --SPA 13:14 LOCAL TIME 10:14 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/996132