China, Arab countries deepen cooperation on technology

YINCHUAN -- At a bar in Yinchuan, the capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, football fans are watching an exciting match from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

What many of them don't know is that their region has a hand in making the tournament a success, with the turf at the Qatar World Cup stadiums maintained by irrigation technology developed by Ningxia University.

Unlike ordinary drip or sprinkler irrigation, the technology uses underground hoses to ooze water droplets evenly and apply water precisely to the roots of the grass.

In addition, it utilizes wind and solar power to generate electricity and lift water, and uses the Internet of Things for intelligent control of the whole watering process.

"This irrigation method is more water-saving and durable, and we use underground infiltration to make it more intelligent and efficient," said Sun Zhaojun, a researcher from Ningxia University.

In recent years, intelligent water-saving irrigation systems and technologies developed by Ningxia University have been transformed and applied in several Arab countries, including Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, according to the university.

To Sun, the China-Arab States Technology Transfer Center, established in 2015 in Ningxia, is one of the main reasons the technology is going global.

"The center has set up several sub-centers and cooperation platforms for China-Arab cooperation, which is conducive to the transfer and implementation of the technologies," said Sun.

Since 2016, a project focusing on technology transfer and scientific and technological cooperation between China and Arab countries was carried out by the center.

"A number of cooperation programs have been conducted in fields such as cross-border electronic payment, intelligent water-saving irrigation technology and satellite remote sensing," said Huang Ying, director of the center.

In addition, a number of international joint laboratories and applicable technology demonstration bases have been set up in various countries, including Oman and Egypt, Huang added.

Over the years, China and the Arab world have been jointly pursuing productive common development through mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields.

In 2021, trade between China and Arab states reached 330.3 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 150 percent from 10 years ago. In the first three quarters of 2022, China-Arab trade reached 319.3 billion dollars, up 35.28 percent year on year, data shows.