China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will have their first round of strategic dialogue in Beijing this Friday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said Tuesday.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi will join the GCC's rotating president, its next president and its secretary general to launch the talks.

Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah is the current GCC president.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Anwar Mohammed Qarqash will be the Council's next president.

The Council's Secretary General is Abdul-Rahman al-Attiyah.

"Establishing the strategic dialogue mechanism proceeds from the real needs and long-term interests of both sides and contributes to the consolidation of mutual trust and collective cooperation in various areas," said Ma.

China attaches great importance to its friendly relations and cooperation with GCC and its members, the spokesman said.

The GCC consists of Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.