International Exchanges Between National People’s Congress of China and Middle East Countries in the Xi Era

As China’s supreme organ of state power, the National People’s Congress plays a unique role in its international exchanges. NPC’s international exchanges plays an important supplementary and promotive role to governmental diplomacy. Parliamentary diplomacy with Middle East countries is guided by China’s overall diplomacy, implemented primarily by the NPC, and aims to promote overall cooperation between China and Middle East countries, conduct legislative experience exchanges, safeguard national sovereignty and interests, and strengthen international publicity. It promotes bilateral exchanges and cooperation through mechanisms such as exchanges between legislative bodies, interactions between friendship groups, and multilateral parliamentary engagements. The NPC further strengthens engagement and cooperation with Middle East countries through five channels: meetings between the Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee and foreign parliamentary speakers; meetings between leaders of the NPC Standing Committee and foreign heads-of-state and premiers; meetings between Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee and various foreign delegations; special envoy missions undertaken by Vice Chairman on behalf of Chinese President; and the holding of seminars for foreign parliamentarians. Through parliamentary diplomacy, the NPC has further deepened the development of relations between China and Middle East countries, strengthened mutual political trust, and promoted bilateral and multilateral pragmatic cooperation.