ISTANBUL<br /><br />China on Wednesday said Beijing’s relations with Arab nations have fostered “peaceful development," state media reported.<br /><br />“Pragmatic cooperation between China and Arab countries continues to deepen,” said Mao Ning, spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry.<br /><br />Mao said Beijing has signed cooperation agreements with all 22 Arab countries and the Arab League to “collaboratively advance” China’s Belt and Road Initiative.<br /><br />Beijing’s statement comes on the eve of the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum which is slated for Thursday.<br /><br />Beijing and the Arab states are marking the 20th anniversary of the forum, which was founded in 2004.<br /><br />“The strengthening of China-Arab relations not only benefits the people on both sides but also fosters peaceful development in the Middle East,” said Mao.<br /><br />Four Arab leaders will attend the forum in Beijing, alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping.<br /><br />Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Tunisian President Kais Saied, and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan are expected to reach Beijing on Wednesday.<br /><br />Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi landed in the Chinese capital on Tuesday.<br /><br />The Arab leaders will also hold separate bilateral talks with Xi.<br /><br />Palestine and the peace in the Middle East are among the issues that Arab leaders will discuss with Xi.<br /><br />China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Mauritanian counterpart Mohamed Salem Ould Merzouk will co-chair the forum.<br /><br />Foreign ministers or representatives of the Arab states and the secretary-general of the League of Arab States will also attend the forum.<br /><br />The forum serves as a formal dialogue initiative between China and the Arab League to discuss the primary multilateral coordination mechanism between the world's second-largest economy and the Arab states