UAE and China enjoy robust relations and bullish prospects: Report

Trade exchange between the UAE and China surged by 220% during the past five years

9 December, 2015

WAM

Abu Dhabi: On the eve of the official visit of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces to China, WAM, the Emirates News Agency, has issued a report on the state of UAE-China trade and bilateral relations. The following is the report in full:

The two countries have been maintaining trade relations since the 7th century, but the relations took their modern shape on December 3, 1971, a day after the UAE was officially created, when the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan sent a cable to the then Chinese Premier, Zhou Enlai, informing him about that great step. Zhou replied with a cable of greetings that represented China’s recognition of the nascent state.

Since then, relations between the UAE and China have evolved significantly, especially after official diplomatic ties began in November 1984. Under the wise leadership of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Their Highnesses the Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates, relations between the UAE and China have witnessed further growth over the past few years with series of visits by leaders and officials of the two countries.

State visits

In December 1989, President Yang Shangkun made the first ever visit to the UAE by a Chinese head of state, while the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan reciprocated by visiting China in 1990.

In January 2007, President Hu Jintao made a stopover in Dubai and was received by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid, and in January 2012, Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, made a state visit to the UAE and took part in the World Future Energy Summit. The visit also saw the signing of a strategic partnership agreement between the UAE and China.

In 2008, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid led a high ranking UAE delegation on a visit to China, where he held talks with its officials and met with economic and business leaders in Beijing and Shanghai.

In 2009 and 2012, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed made two visits to China under invitations by the then Chinese Vice President, Xi Jinping.

Last year, Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, paid an important visit to the UAE that redefined the progressive relations between the two countries. He met with Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid and Foreign Minister, Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Relations between the two countries are poised to grow further, thanks to their huge potentials and influential roles in regional and international arenas. The UAE is an emerging economy with a unique and strategic location. The country has grown tremendously during the past 44 years to gain the world’s respect as role model for progress.

China, on the other hand, is the world’s second largest economy and is tipped to go that one step higher in the coming years due to its high growth rates.

Consulates

China opened its embassy in Abu Dhabi in 1985 and its General Consulate in Dubai in 1988, while the UAE embassy in Beijing was opened in March 1987 and its two consulates, in Hong Kong and Shanghai in April 2000 and July 2009 respectively. The country is preparing to open a third consulate in Guangzhou after agreeing the final details, and a Consul-General has already been appointed.

China’s GDP saw a marked growth of 6.9 per cent between January and September 2015 to $7.6 trillion (Dh27.9 trillion).

Trade exchange between the UAE and China surged by 220 per cent during the past five years from a meagre $63 million in 1985 to $54.8 billion in 2015.

This huge jump is attributed to many factors, including the growth in the aviation sector, with the UAE’s national carriers increasing their flights to China’s key destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, leading to an increase in the numbers of Chinese tourists visiting the UAE.