YINCHUAN — China will push forward cooperation in technology and innovation with the Arab States, China’s minister of science and technology, Wan Gang, said on Sept 11.

Wan made the remarks at a forum during the ongoing second China-Arab States Expo in northwest China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

He said China will seek cooperation with the Arab States in fields such as agriculture, energy, transportation, information, environment, health and satellite navigation.

Meanwhile, Wan said China will further technological cooperation with the Arab States by building joint laboratories, inviting more young Arab scientists to work in China and establishing technology transfer centers.

China and the Arab States are both developing countries and are both at a critical moment for industrial transformation and upgrades, therefore, the cooperation is in the common interest of both sides, Wan said.

The second China-Arab States Expo, a platform to promote ties between China and Middle Eastern countries, kicked off on Thursday in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia, home to more than 10 percent of China’s 20 million Muslims.

State leaders, government officials and corporate executives gathered for the four-day expo to seek cooperation opportunities

Trade between China and the Arab States exploded from $10 million in 1950s to $251.2 billion in 2014, which made China the second largest trade partner of the Arab States.

The biennial China-Arab States Expo is jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and the government of Ningxia.