China, Qatar Move to Deepen Strategic Partnership, Energy Cooperation and Regional Coordination
Dragon Media News Desk
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has described Qatar as one of China’s most reliable and long-term partners, saying Beijing is willing to maintain close communication and cooperation with Doha on international and regional affairs.
Wang made the remarks during talks in Beijing on Tuesday with visiting Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Wang said the China-Qatar strategic partnership has made significant progress in recent years under the strategic guidance of the two countries’ leaders.
Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China firmly supports Qatar in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence, security and stability. He also expressed confidence that Qatar would continue to support China on issues concerning its core interests.
Al Thani said Qatar firmly adheres to the one-China principle and opposes external interference in China’s internal affairs. He also expressed readiness to strengthen communication and coordination with China within the United Nations and other multilateral frameworks, support multilateralism and contribute to international peace and common development.
The Qatari prime minister also said Doha would give priority to ensuring energy supplies to China and would support the series of global initiatives proposed by Beijing.
Energy cooperation featured prominently in the talks. Wang called on both sides to consolidate and expand cooperation in traditional and new energy while strengthening ties in investment, high technology and people-to-people exchanges.
China and Qatar already maintain substantial economic and trade relations. According to Chinese figures, bilateral trade reached US$23.812 billion in 2025, with Chinese exports totaling US$5.542 billion and imports from Qatar reaching US$18.27 billion.
In the first quarter of 2026, bilateral trade stood at US$5.11 billion, including US$1.19 billion in Chinese exports and US$3.92 billion in imports. Qatar is China’s second-largest source of liquefied natural gas, with China importing 19.438 million tons of LNG from Qatar in 2025.
Chinese analysts say China-Qatar cooperation is increasingly moving beyond traditional energy trade into high technology, the digital economy, cloud computing, new energy and investment. As Gulf countries accelerate economic diversification, China’s industrial and technological capabilities and Qatar’s capital and energy resources are seen as increasingly complementary.
Al Thani’s visit comes at a time of continued tensions in the Middle East and growing debate across the Gulf over security and diplomatic diversification. Chinese analysts view the expanding engagement with Beijing as part of a broader effort by regional countries to develop more diversified partnerships while increasing their strategic room for maneuver.
China has recently promoted a new security architecture for the Middle East based on common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. Qatar, meanwhile, has maintained an active regional diplomatic role and has continued to strengthen engagement with China through multilateral cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative.
The Beijing talks underscored the growing breadth of China-Qatar relations, with energy security, regional stability, multilateral cooperation and emerging economic sectors increasingly forming part of a broader long-term strategic partnership.
