China–Oman Cooperation Opens a New Chapter

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik Al Said of Oman paid a state visit to China from November 1 to 2. This historic visit was the first by an Omani head of state since the two countries established diplomatic relations 48 years ago. China welcomed him with the highest honors. The two leaders held cordial talks and reached broad agreement, opening a new chapter in bilateral relations. The visit drew considerable international attention.

Friendly exchanges between China and Oman have continued for thousands of years. Along the ancient Maritime Silk Road, sailing ships from Sohar in Oman crossed the Indian Ocean to reach Guangzhou in China. Chinese porcelain, silk and tea traveled by sea to the Arabian Peninsula, while Omani frankincense and other local goods reached China along the same routes. Today, the Sohar ship monument in Guangzhou and the Zheng He monument in Salalah, Oman, stand as reminders of centuries of exchanges and mutual learning between the two civilizations.

Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1978, China and Oman have maintained mutual trust, treated each other with sincerity and respect, and stood together in the spirit of fairness and justice, regardless of changes in the international situation. In 2018, the two countries established a strategic partnership and signed a memorandum of understanding on Belt and Road cooperation, bringing bilateral relations into a new stage. During the visit, both sides agreed to deepen the strategic alignment between the Belt and Road Initiative and Oman Vision 2040. They also expressed their willingness to enhance political mutual trust, strengthen friendly exchanges, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and enhance communication and coordination to further deepen the China-Oman strategic partnership across the board.

Trade and economic ties are an important pillar of China–Oman cooperation. China has remained Oman’s largest trading partner since 2018, and Oman is also one of China’s important trading partners among Arab countries. Bilateral trade reached $32.87 billion in 2025, including $27.26 billion in Chinese imports from Oman. In the first quarter of 2026, trade between the two countries totaled $8.31 billion. Both sides are working to deepen the alignment between high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and Oman Vision 2040, and to develop new areas of cooperation in artificial intelligence, the digital economy and new energy.

People-to-people exchanges are also growing. According to the Omani side, around 200 Omani students have pursued master’s and doctoral degrees in China through government scholarship programs since 2018. China has also provided more than 300 training programs for over 2,000 Omani officials and technical professionals. Travel between the two countries has become easier. In the first half of 2026, Oman recorded 48,000 visits by Chinese tourists, an increase of more than 40 percent year on year. More Chinese visitors are coming to Oman to experience its rich history, culture and distinctive natural landscapes.

From sailing ships on the ancient Maritime Silk Road to today’s busy industrial parks and ports, and from traditional energy trade to expanding cooperation in green energy, artificial intelligence and the digital economy, the friendship between China and Oman continues to grow with the times.

People’s Daily, the official organ of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, is one of the world’s ten major newspapers. Through its continued efforts to advance media integration and strengthen its international communication capacity, People’s Daily has grown into a new type of mainstream media organization with more than ten types of media platforms, including newspapers, magazines, websites, mobile apps, microblogs, digital screens and social media accounts, reaching a combined audience of over 1.5 billion. Its Middle East Center Bureau has a long-standing presence in the region, providing Chinese readers with perspectives and examples of development in the Middle East and Arab countries. We will continue to deepen our coverage of Oman and build closer ties with its government, business community, media and think tanks, contributing to greater political mutual trust and friendship between the peoples of our two countries.