OPEC and China: Oil is central to meeting the world's energy demand

KUNA - The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and China affirmed China's pivotal role in supporting global economic growth and energy demand, and emphasized the importance of oil in meeting current and future global energy needs.

This was stated in a press release issued by OPEC following the eighth high-level meeting of the OPEC-China Energy Dialogue, held in Beijing with the participation of senior officials from the energy sector. The meeting was chaired by Haitham Al-Ghais, Secretary General of OPEC, and Wang Hongzhe, Chairman of the National Energy Administration of China.

China has long regarded OPEC as a key force and partner in the global energy governance system. Al-Ghais noted that since the establishment of the dialogue mechanism between the two sides in 2005, China and OPEC have successfully held seven high-level meetings and three roundtable discussions, while continuing to play a constructive role in global energy governance.

For his part, Al-Ghais affirmed the depth of the relations that the OPEC-China Energy Dialogue has helped to consolidate, noting that 20 years have passed since the first official dialogue event between the two sides.

Al-Ghais explained that this relationship has evolved into a sustainable framework for cooperation on energy issues of mutual interest, particularly supply security, energy demand, and market stability.

He added that the strength of this relationship has developed in close tandem with the remarkable economic transformation witnessed by China.