On August 31, the Pitch Conference: Digital Intelligence Sharing in Sino-Arab Cities for a Better City Future was held in Suzhou. The official announcement of Cinewaves Films Chinese Office was made by Zha Yindong, the deputy mayor of the city of Suzhou, and Saudi film industry pioneer Faisal Baltyuor, founder and CEO of CineWaves Films, in the presence of Chinese government representatives and cultural sectors. This marks the first time that a cultural company from the Arab region has set up an office in China, further facilitating China-Arab cultural industry cooperation and cross-regional cultural exchanges.

On August 3, Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary General, Head of the Social Affairs Sector at the League of Arab States came to ORI Group for an inspection visit, accompanied by Souad Sayhi, Director of the Culture and Dialogue of Civilizations Department of the League of Arab States, and Amal Afifi, Head of the Arab-Chinese Mechanism for the Cultural Sphere. The Vice Mayor of Suzhou, Mr. Cha Yingdong, had a friendly meeting with Dr. Haifa at ORI Mansion, jointly participated by the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Suzhou Bureau of Culture, Radio and Television, the Propaganda and United Front Work Department of Suzhou Industrial Park, and ORI Group. Vice Mayor Cha Yingdong first welcomed the visit of Dr. Haifa and her party and expressed his gratitude for the efforts made by the Arab side and Suzhou to jointly promote the consensus on cultural and artistic exchanges between China and Arab States. He also pointed out that Suzhou is a famous historical and cultural city with 2,500 years of history and a modern city with robust economic growth. Suzhou has always attached importance to cultural exchanges and cooperation with Arab countries, therefore, the “China-Arab Countries Animation Industry Forum” to be held in Suzhou at the end of August this year will be a great event in the field of Sino-Arab cultural diplomacy and Suzhou will do its best to organise this forum. Dr. Haifa said that Arab countries value the friendship between China and Arab countries, and hope to maintain each other’s friendship through the beautiful form of animation, and jointly sow the seeds of friendship between China and Arab countries. The Arab countries will continue to deepen cultural exchanges and cooperation with China, constantly expand the field of exchanges, promote people-to-people communication, and carry forward the traditional friendship between the two sides. Dr. Haifa is full of confidence and expectations for the upcoming Sino-Arab Animation Industry Forum. During the visit to ORI Group, Dr. Haifa also expressed her approval and gratitude for ORI’s decade of foreign cultural achievements, especially in the cooperation with Arab countries, and encouraged ORI to continue to be a good messenger of Sino-Arab culture, saying that “ORI not only takes animation as an industry but also as a message to children, to youth and to Arab cities”.

On the morning of March 7, Riyadh time, Mr Qian Feng, chairman of Ori Group, visited the Chinese Embassy in Saudi Arabia for in-depth communication with Mr Yin Lijun, Chargé d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Saudi Arabia. The focus was on cultural exchanges and collaboration between China and Saudi Arabia. Mr Qian Feng briefed Yin Lijun on the overall situation of Ori Group, covering current development and plans of content creation, international cooperation, education and cultural merchandise. The process of Hakim & Kong Xiaoxi II was also introduced. When talking about international cultural activities, Mr Qian Feng emphasized the preparations for the first China-Arab Animation Summit in detail. The Chargé d'Affaires Yin Lijun warmly welcomed Mr Qian Feng and his entourage, praising Ori Group’s decade-long outstanding achievements in international cultural exchanges. Mr Yin expressed his support and great expectations for the Sino-Saudi co-production animation Hakim & Kong Xiaoxi II because the first season has been well-received in Saudi Arabia. Then Mr Yin elaborated on Saudi Arabia’s cultural development to Mr Qian Feng and his entourage, emphasizing their commitment to foreign cultural exchange. He encouraged Ori Group to leverage this momentum to enhance cultural ties between China and Saudi Arabia, aiming for mutual benefits and win-win results. The Embassy pledged full support for the first China-Arab Animation Summit, viewing it as a significant stride in cultural exchanges between China and Saudi Arabia. Ori Group, aspiring to “be the ambassador for cultural exchange and build a connection for cultural exchange”, is committed to becoming a participant, promoter and leader of cultural exchanges along the Belt and Road. Through win-win cooperation, Ori Group seeks to fortify the bonds between China, Saudi Arabia and countries along the Belt and Road to jointly create a brighter future for cooperation.

President Xi Jinping’s signed article titled Carrying Forward Our Millennia-old Friendship and Jointly Creating a Better Future was featured in the Saudi newspaper Al Riyadh on December 8. He praised: "Hakim & Kong Xiaoxi, the first animated co-production of China and Saudi Arabia, is popular among children, sowing the seed of China-Saudi Arabia friendship in their hearts." Hakim & Kong Xiaoxi portrays the story of Kong Xiaoxi and her brother Kong Xiaodong from China, who forge a friendship with Hakim from Najid Restaurant in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, through a Sino-Saudi exchange program. Kong Xiaoxi’s oriental wisdom and kung fu have helped Najid Restaurant overcome many challenges. The fusion of Chinese and Saudi cuisines has helped Najid Restaurant to win local popularity. This animation weaves various elements of Chinese food, martial arts culture and clothing cultures, exhibiting values like diligence, unity, and entrepreneurship, fostering deeper Arab insight into the Chinese character. Meanwhile, it also fully shows Saudi customs, culture and authentic Saudi cuisine. Hakim & Kong Xiaoxi is Ori's first international co-production project, which serves the mission of “telling Chinese stories and spread Chinese culture”. President Xi’s endorsement extends beyond the project itself, as it promotes cultural exchanges along the Belt and Road. Looking ahead, Ori commits to the creative principle of “Telling Chinese stories that the world can understand” and “Delivering global tales that will inspire China” to enhance cross-cultural understanding and amplify the Chinese cultural voice on the global stage.

Suzhou Ori Animation Co., Ltd. and Thailand's THE MONK STUDIOS CO., LTD conducted a successful online signing ceremony for a collaborative production agreement on December 24, 2021. The event was witnessed by Ms Chang Yumeng, Cultural Counselor of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Thailand, and Mr Nop Dharmavanich, Chairman of the Thai Animation and Computer Graphics Association (TACGA). The signed Sino-Thai co-production project is a 90-minute CGI animation film, scheduled to be officially launched on January 1, 2022, completed by the end of 2024, and released globally in 2025. The project will integrate Chinese national culture and Thai island culture, narrating a story of guarding, responsibility and growth. Mr Qian Feng, Chairman of Ori Animation, emphasized that this collaboration with Thai MONK STUDIOS signifies Ori Animation's successful cultural outreach in Southeast Asia, aligning with the Belt and Road cultural development plan. Ori hopes that this cooperation can infuse both Chinese and Thai culture into the film, fostering global awareness and friendship between the two countries. Mr Juck Somsaman, the founder of MONK STUDIOS, said that they have always attached importance to the cooperation with Chinese cultural enterprises. This agreement with Ori is also a huge step for MONK. It is hoped that this cooperation can invite mutual appreciation of Chinese and Thai cultures. MONK looks forward to broader collaboration with Ori in the future, making more contributions to Sino-Thai cultural exchanges. Chairman Nop highlighted the historical bonds and interlinked cultures between China and Thailand and anticipated that the joint production project would serve as a model for further cooperation between animation companies of both nations, fostering world-class animation creations through cooperation in creativity, technology, art and other aspects. Counselor Chang Yumeng lauded the agreement’s significance, noting its role in deepening Belt and Road cooperation and cultural exchange between China and Thailand. The co-production not only showcases joint cultural strengths in creating high-quality products but also encourages mutual understanding and friendship. Established in 2006, Ori Animation is a national animation enterprise, and a national key enterprise of culture exporting. It has been committed to cultural exporting since 2013 and has been at the forefront of foreign cultural trade in China. It has achieved remarkable achievements in cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road. Hakim & Kong Xiaoxi II was selected for the Belt and Road Cultural trade and investment key project of the Ministry of Culture. The Sino-Singapore co-produced animation Duo Duo was selected as the Key International Cooperation Project of the Cultural & Tourism Industry in the Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian film and television exchange and cooperation plan of the National Radio and Television Administration. The animation Hakim & Kong Xiaoxi co-produced by China and Saudi Arabia won the Jiangsu Provincial Spiritual Civilization award. Thailand THE MONK STUDIOS CO., LTD was established in 2006 and is headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. It is a top high-end animation and visual company with extensive in-depth cooperation with internationally renowned film and television companies such as DreamWorks Animation, Industrial Light & Magic, and Lucasfilm. It is the top CGI production company in Thailand and Southeast Asia. The co-production project embodies the rich heritage of Chinese and Thai cultures, showing the artistic charm of the two cultures, fostering closer cultural ties, good-neighbourly relations, and cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. This project also promotes China-Thailand’s comprehensive cooperative strategic partnership.