Paper Title
The Yemen-China Economic, Commercial, and Technical Relations During Ali Abdullah Saleh's Administration from 1990 To 2012
Abstract
China and Yemen continued to have regular meetings to assess the cooperation between them in the economic, oil
and gas sector, sharing of technical expertise for the development of free trade zones, trade exchange as well as how to
improve the cooperation. On May 16, 1996, Wu Bangguo, the Chinese Vice Premier, initialed a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) in Sana’a with the Yemeni government to prospect for oil and its subsequent production, refining and
marketing, and cooperation in the economic, medical and cultural sectors. (Huwaidin, 2001). The Chinese President’s, Hu
Jintao, invitation to his Yemeni counterpart, President Saleh, to visit China in April 2006 appears as if China was
reciprocating Yemen’s hosting of Wu Bangguo’s earlier visit to Sana’a, but actually Hu Jintao’s motive was to secure
Beijing’s need for oil in the midst of tightening global energy supplies. China’s purpose for the expansion of trade relations
with Yemen was also to make it a new consumer market whereby Chinese goods can be exported to Yemen. In fact, during
Saleh’s meeting with Hu, in China in April 2006, Hu said he welcomes and supports private sector investments in both
countries and is ready to extend cooperation to Yemen in the energy, infrastructure and fishing sector (Xinhua News
Agency, April 7, 2006).In addition to that, during Saleh’s same visit to China, Vice Premier Wu said to Saleh that China is
ready to work with Yemen to take advantage of each other’s strength so as to enhance bilateral cooperation for their mutual
benefits in large trade, energy and telecommunication projects (Xinhua News Agency, April 8, 2006).
Keywords: Economic, Cooperation, Yemen-China relations, Saleh, Trade, Development