1. A worthwhile economic partnership
Yemeni-Chinese friendship brings prosperity
Current date: Thursday August 25, 2005 - Issue: (823), Volume 13 , From 10 March
2005 to 13 March 2005
By Mohammed Darsi Nedham
For The Yemen Times
Yemen has left a deep impression on me. Yemen also has achieved big
developments in the period of President Saleh. The military and security
forces had struggled in bravery to protect the Yemeni Revolution. All Yemeni
people joined hands with the military forces in their struggle to protect Sana’a
and the Republican regime.
Assab’een blockage is an immortal event in the mind of history. It will be
always alive in the minds and hearts of the millions. The Revolution is an
immortal heroic development in the history of Yemeni-Chinese relationship.
President Saleh takes upon his shoulder the Revolution’s aims, and leads the
country successfully to develop the financial, economic and administrative
reforms.
He aims at improving the country’s relations with neighbors and to consolidate
the Arab Union,” says Mr. Shi Yanchun, Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Yemen.
He was installed as an Ambassador for China, in the Republic of Yemen, in
1997.
History of Yemen-China relationship
Thereupon, the Yemeni and Chinese relationship is distinguished and
historical. Some sources had mentioned that the Chinese people had begun
to arrive to Yemen in the sixth century. They brought silk and pottery from
China to Yemen throughout land and sea transportation. During the tenth
century, Aden was an important waterway which leads to China.
In the fifteenth century, Captain Jenkh Kha had visited Aden three times.
Yemeni rulers also sent missionaries to China. The People’s Republic of
China was founded on October 1, 1949. Since that time, it still preserves the
Yemeni-Chinese relationship. The Yemeni-Chinese diplomatic relationship
had started in 1956.
On October 6, 1962, China recognized the Yemeni Republican regime after
the Revolution, on September 26, 1962. The Chinese mission which was in
Yemen before the Revolution turned into an Embassy, on February 13, 1963.

2. China upheld the Yemeni Revolution during the Sana’a blockage days.
Then, it declared clearly that the people and government of China supported
the people and government of Yemen, in their struggle of preserving the
national sovereignty and independence of the country. We see that the
continuous development in Yemen-China relations is one of the Chinese
policies.
Chinese projects in Yemen
It is known that the relation between China and Yemen is going on towards a
better future. China founded about seventy projects in Yemen. As a result of
the last visit of our President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Vice President Abdrabuo
M. Hadi to China many contracts were signed.
At this time, our two friendly countries are implementing those contracts. One
of the most famous Chinese projects in Yemen is the Yemeni-Chinese
Friendship Bridge. This bridge is located in the heart of the capital Sana’a; it is
deemed as a gift offered by the government of China to Yemen. Absolutely,
this bridge reflects the wide extension of the Yemeni-Chinese friendship. It
consists of three levels: The high level bridge, under bridge level and water
level deepening (about 5 meter).
My old contacts with the Yemeni Ambassador and other diplomats, who work
in the Yemeni Embassy in China during my doctoral study period, and my
new contacts with the Chinese Consulate in Aden, show that the two sides do
their best to consolidate the Yemeni Chinese friendship. So we all are sure
that this friendship will prosper more and more in the future. In the Fifty-Six of
China and the Forty-Three anniversary of the Yemeni Revolution, we in
Yemen wish that Yemeni-Chinese friendship will reach a high level of
prosperity.
Conclusions and Recommendation
1. We must find a way for Yemen Studies in China.
2. We must have the opportunity to start parallel study between Yemen and
China. Even though Yemen-China Center.
3. We must work hard on making an effort to expand the academic exchanges
in the private level; it has the limit of approach.
4. In my opinion, there is no time for hesitation to promote the diplomatic
relation and academic exchanges as well as in private level and governmental
level.

3. 5. We must breed from the lesson of China scientific revolution and expand
the academic exchanges with China through parallel study due to the
common consciousness of the long history and disintegrated grief.
6. We must keep in our minds, that China is very important for us beyond
scientific revolution issue.
7. It is fact now, that China is a developing country after its scientific revolution
as an oil producing country.
8. Considering to my simple interest on studies done on the East Southeast
Asia in future, I have to maintain a concrete relation with China, especially in
the fields of cultural, social, economic and political matters as well as
academic relation.
In the end, I would like to say, ‘‘China is an important economic partner of
Yemen and one of the growing economies in the world. It is a country which
we believe has a tremendous future in the world. Therefore, we have to
develop our relation on principles of economic partnership.
Dr. Eng. Mohammed Darsi Abdulrahman Nedham, is a specialist in geology
and a member of the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC Member) dealing
with Yemen Hunt Oil Company. He graduated from Jilin University (China) in
2002.