UAE and China sign strategic agreements as Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed visits Beijing

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday.

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces were welcomed at the Great Hall of the People, in the country's capital, with an official reception ceremony.

Sheikh Mohamed and his accompanying delegation were greeted by Mr Xi and a number of senior Chinese officials before the two leaders stood in the raised dais of honour to hear the national anthems of both countries.

The Artillery fired 21 rounds in salute of Sheikh Mohamed, who then inspected a Guard of Honour, according to state news agency Wam.

The UAE and Chinese delegations then held a meeting to discuss ways of increasing co-operation between the two countries across various sectors, and discuss regional and international issues of common interest.

"Today, I am pleased to meet with my dear friend Xi Jinping, President of China," Sheikh Mohamed tweeted on Monday.

"We share common aspirations, ambition, a vision of investment in human capital and envisage a future of safety, peace and stability worldwide. The UAE and China are moving towards a promising future," he said.

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.

During the meeting, Sheikh Mohamed said the UAE and China have had a strong relationship since they established ties in November 1984. He also spoke of UAE Founding Father Sheikh Zayed's visit to China in 1990, which he said helped lay the foundation for the two countries' relationship today.

"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," he said, adding that the UAE will work to strengthen the relations even further in coming years.

Sheikh Mohamed said trade between the two countries had grown significantly over the last few years, making China a very important trading partner for the UAE. He said the UAE opened its doors to Chinese investments and is encouraging Emirati businessmen to invest in China.

Then 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 witnessed the signing of a number of agreements and Memoranda of Understanding, MoUs, between the two countries, spanning a series of sectors including defence, trade and investment, environment and sustainability, education, ports and customs, and energy.

The signing of the agreements seeks to further advance strategic ties between the UAE and China, opening up new partnership horizons across various fields.

WAM, The National