Mohamed Bin Zayed, Chinese President Hold Official Talks In Beijing

BEIJING, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 22nd Jul, 2019) His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China, have held formal talks on strengthening the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership as well as a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest.

At the meeting, held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the Chinese President welcomed the visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and his accompanying delegation. He said that Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s visit will provide a strong impetus to bilateral relations and open wider horizons for cooperation in various fields.

The two sides also reviewed the UAE-China relations and the comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries, as well as ways to further develop investment, economic, scientific, and cultural ties. The two leaders also discussed regional and international developments.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed conveyed the greetings of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to the Chinese President and his wishes for further progress, development, and stability in China.

Sheikh Mohamed expressed his country's congratulations to the government and people of China on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

He stated that the UAE and China had enjoyed strong relations ever since diplomatic ties were established in November 1984. He pointed out to the big leaps made in the political, economic, scientific, cultural and other fields, which he said owed to how much the two countries had in common as well as the shared political will to strengthen their relationship.

His Highness recalled the historic visit to China in 1990 by the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, which helped establish the foundation of the strong and friendly relations between the two nations.

He said these ties were based on mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs, common interest, the desire to work for the development and well-being of their people as well as support for global peace, cooperation, and development. Sheikh Mohamed said genuine cooperation, peace, stability, and development could not be achieved if these were lacking.

"Upgrading the current strategic partnership in place between the two countries since 2012 to a comprehensive strategic partnership on the occasion of the historic visit of the Chinese President to the UAE in 2018 was the culmination of the long and successful path of UAE-China cooperation, which led to pioneering partnerships in various fields," Sheikh Mohamed said, adding that the UAE will work to strengthen the relations even further in coming years.

Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince said that trade between the two countries had grown significantly over the last few years, making China a very important trading partner for the UAE. He praised the diversity of UAE-China relations, which span technology, space, industry, investment, energy, education, and culture as well as other fields.

He stated that the UAE has opened its doors to Chinese investments and wished to overcome any obstacles along the way. It is also encouraging Emirati businessmen to invest in China, explore opportunities for cooperation, and build effective partnerships.

Sheikh Mohamed also praised the Belt and Road Initiative, BRI, that China launched a few years ago, describing it as a pioneering development. He noted that the UAE’s strategic location, its modern infrastructure, advanced logistics capabilities, and diversified commercial relations with various countries, especially China, as well as its role in the world energy market made it an active participant in the BRI Initiative.

His Highness said the values espoused by the BRI were in line with the UAE’s values, noting that the country is working to promote these values across the world, especially those relating to coexistence, peace, and cooperation for the good of humanity.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said the UAE was keen on the freedom and safety of international sea traffic in the Gulf and the middle East and would cooperate with China and other friendly countries to achieve this goal to ensure the safe flow of oil supplies worldwide. This was of great importance for the stability and safety of the world economy.

His Highness said that China, with its great capability and potential, had a pivotal role in the world and an influential presence in regional and international issues. China enjoys strong relations with Gulf states and other Arab and Middle East countries, and the UAE was thus looking forward to an active Chinese role in establishing peace in the Middle East and address the source of regional dangers and threats.

He pointed to the cooperation between the two countries in working against terrorism and extremism, which he described as the greatest threat to world security, stability, and development.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed expressed great optimism about the future of UAE-China relations and said the deep foundations of their friendship and the continuing support of the leaders of the two countries had contributed to strong ties.

For his part, the Chinese President said that the visit of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to his country reflects his interest in fostering UAE-China relations, and expressed his appreciation for the support shown by His Highness for the relations between the two friendly countries.

The two countries are working continuously to enhance their ties based on trust and mutual interests, he said, expressing his satisfaction with the level of development and growth of relations between them.

President Jinping referred to the joint statement, which will be issued by the two sides at the end of the visit of Abu Dhabi's CP, on strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the UAE and China, which is an important methodological document for both sides.

The meeting was attended by H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior; H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court; H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Sheikh Mohammad bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports; Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy; Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Industry; Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education; Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development; Dr. Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State; Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Supreme National Security Council; Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority; Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Under-Secretary of the Crown Prince's Court of Abu Dhabi; Dr. Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, Ambassador of the UAE to China; Sheikha Hessa bint Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, and several other senior officials.

Also attending the meeting from the Chinese side were Wang Yi, State Councillor and Foreign Minister of China; Yang Jiechi, Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee; Wang Zhigang, Minister for Science and Technology; He Lifeng, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission; Ni Jian, Chinese Ambassador to the UAE; Zhong Shan, Minister of Commerce; Chen Xiaodong, Assistant Foreign Minister; and Qin Gang, Vice Foreign Minister.