Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Ms. Sun Haiyan, Vice Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), to discuss ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between the Organization and the People’s Republic of China.

During the meeting, held on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, in Beijing, attended by several advisors from the Party’s International Department, Dr. AlMalik highlighted ICESCO’s interest in building a distinguished partnership with China, drawing on the cultural and civilizational values shared by the Islamic and Chinese civilizations. He stressed the importance of strengthening this relationship by investing in youth, noting the deep respect and appreciation that young people across the Islamic world hold for China and its civilization.

The ICESCO Director-General affirmed that China’s accession to the Organization as an Observer Member would advance cultural, scientific, educational and social relations. In this regard, he noted that ICESCO is working to strengthen its ties with Beijing by engaging in several initiatives launched by His Excellency President Xi Jinping, particularly the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), which represents a qualitative shift in the trajectory of joint humanitarian action.

For her part, Ms. Sun congratulated Dr. AlMalik on his appointment as Wutong Chair Professor at Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU), in recognition of his outstanding contributions to promoting international cooperation and fostering civilizational communication between the Islamic world and China.

She commended the strong relationship between ICESCO and BLCU and emphasized the importance of continuing to support joint cooperation in the future. Ms. Sun invited 20 ICESCO staff members to visit China and learn about its culture and profound civilizational heritage. She also invited ICESCO to attend the meeting between the League of Arab States and the Chinese Government, scheduled to be held in the Kingdom of Morocco at the end of this year.

At the close of the meeting, Ms. Sun stressed that China attaches great importance to ICESCO and its roles in education, science and culture. Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to further developing the partnership and advancing it toward broader horizons.

The meeting was attended on behalf of ICESCO by Mr. Anar Karimov, Head of the Partnerships and International Cooperation Sector, and Ambassador Khalid Fathalrahman, Head of the Center for Civilizational Dialogue.