On June 21, 2004, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lü Xinhua met with the joint TV media delegation of Arab Countries.

Vice Minister Lü said that Arab countries represent an important force in the world and China has always placed a priority on developing relations with Arab countries. The friendship between China and Arab countries enjoys a solid foundation and cooperation between the two sides has been wide, which has made them "good brothers, good friends and good partners". At the beginning of this year, President Hu Jintao put forward the four principles guiding the development of China-Arab relations in the changed situations when visiting the headquarters of the Arab League, which have helped to further determine the orientation of developing China-Arab relations in the new era. The two sides also declared the establishment of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum, which constitutes a new framework for the friendly cooperation between China and the Arab countries.

Vice Minister Lü expressed hopes that the journalists would give a full coverage of what they see and hear so as to boost the mutual understanding between the Chinese and Arab peoples and promote the sustained and sound development of China-Arab relations. Vice Minister Lü also took questions from the journalists with regard to prospects for development of China-Arab relations, the friendly cooperation between China and Syria and the role of China in issues related to the Middle East and Iraq.

The 8-member joint delegation of Arab journalists is on a visit to China at the invitation of the Information Department of the Chinese foreign ministry, whose members are from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.