Sinopec's Zhong Ren Delivers Keynote Speech and Receives Global South Outstanding Contribution Award

CAIRO, May 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global South Media and Think Tank Forum Chinese-Arab Partnership Conference was held on May 13 in Cairo, Egypt, under the theme "Pooling Wisdom, Embarking on a New Journey: Jointly Building a China-Arab Community with a Shared Future."

Mr. Zhong Ren, director of the board of Sinopec Group, attended the Conference and delivered a keynote speech titled "Building a Foundation with Energy, Driving New Growth with Innovation, and Connecting Through Culture," sharing Sinopec's practices and insights in China-Arab cooperation and accentuating the group's firm commitment to contributing to a closer China-Arab community with a shared future.

For its active engagement in cooperation initiatives, its exceptional contribution to promoting mutual trust and amplifying the voice of the Global South, as well as its demonstrated spirit of collaboration and outstanding leadership, Sinopec was presented with the Global South Media and Think Tank Cooperation & Communication Partnership Outstanding Contribution Award.

In his keynote, Mr. Zhong noted that the friendship between China and Arab states spans over a millennium and continues to grow stronger. Chinese and Arab civilizations have complemented and inspired each other, setting a shining example of dialogue and mutual learning among world civilizations. Under the strategic guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, China-Arab relations have embraced new historical opportunities. As highlighted in the Think Tank report "Achievements, Opportunities, and Prospects of China-Arab Cooperation in the New Era" released by Xinhua News Agency, China-Arab cooperation has injected stability and certainty into the world and set a benchmark for South-South cooperation.

"Sinopec has always adhered to the principle that 'energy security means common security and energy development means coordinated development.' We have been deeply involved in landmark projects such as the Yanbu Refinery in Saudi Arabia and the Al-Zour Refinery in Kuwait, while continuously expanding oil and natural gas trade and promoting the coordinated development of traditional energy and green new energy," he said.

At the same time, Sinopec is accelerating its digital and intelligent transformation, building an independent and controllable AI system as well as an international omnimedia communication matrix, contributing to the development of the Global South's independent discourse system. In terms of cultural exchange, Sinopec has established "Silk Road Book Houses" in eight Arab countries, donating over 10,000 books and training more than 100,000 local professional and technical personnel, continuously building a bridge for dialogue and people–to–people connectivity between China and the Arab states.

Mr. Zhong noted that the upcoming Second China-Arab States Summit will surely inject new momentum into China-Arab relations and South-South cooperation. Sinopec is ready to join hands with all partners to contribute greater efforts toward building an even closer China-Arab community with a shared future.

The two-day event co-hosted by Xinhua and the League of Arab states gathered about 250 representatives from around 110 media outlets, think tanks, government institutions, and enterprises from China and Arab countries, as well as from international and regional organizations.