Mohamed bin Zayed, Chinese President explore ways of enhancing bilateral ties, discuss regional and international developments

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, held a round of official talks yesterday with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China, to discuss deepening ties of friendship and cooperation. The talks also tackled a variety of regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Welcoming Sheikh Mohamed and his entourage at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, the Chinese president expressed his delight at meeting HH Sheikh Mohamed, and said he hoped his visit to China would further advance these bonds.

Also, President Xi Jinping commended the keenness of the UAE leadership in leveraging the UAE-China ties of friendship and cooperation, noting that the UAE was the first Arab country to have established a strategic partnership with China. He also expressed his confidence that the trip would provide a significant boost and dynamism to bilateral cooperation and would contribute to advancing and bolstering that collaboration in the best service of the two friendly peoples' interests.

The Chinese president further asked Sheikh Mohamed to communicate his best wishes of good health to UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In return, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi conveyed the regards and best wishes for good health of Sheikh Khalifa to the Chinese leader, as well as his wishes for further progress and prosperity for the Chinese people.

Sheikh Mohamed noted that he was pleased to visit the great and friendly China, which enjoys cultural diversity and a prosperous and thriving economy, emphasising that the UAE, under the leadership of Sheikh Khalifa, harbours deep respect and regard for the leadership and people of China.

HH lauded the confident vision of the Chinese president and his initiatives to catapult the Chinese people into a new era of development and stability, saying he was looking forward to solidifying joint cooperation in the future, affirming the UAE's interest in opening new prospects for investment in China and in contributing to various present and future developmental initiatives and plans, notably to the 'One Belt, One Road Initiative'.

'Despite the significant growth of bilateral ties in the recent period, there are still promising prospects awaiting them, opportunities before them and wide scopes to support and develop them in many vital areas,' HH said, noting the common ambitions that will consolidate the Silk Road bonds which established longstanding historic ties - since our forefathers - between the Arab region and China. This, he indicated, would not only establish bridges of communications in the future, but also build important strategic relations between the UAE and China, along with other countries in the region.

The two sides also discussed the possibility of adopting developmental and humanitarian initiatives that serve urgent issues in areas such as health, education and energy, particularly in needy and poor countries.

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi highlighted the vital and important role China can play in supporting the region to confront challenges, the top of which are terrorism and extremism, as the two sides called for the continuation of efforts aimed at strengthening international cooperation to counter terrorism and extremism and mobilising efforts to confront terrorist organisations and extremist groups, which seek to undermine international peace and security and terrorise peoples.

The Crown Prince and the Chinese president also explored the means of developing and upgrading the exemplary bilateral ties into a strategic relationship, based upon the depth of historic ties and their diversity in various fields, along with the broadening scope of trade, economic, social and cultural exchanges. They also took stock of a host of regional and international developments and events of mutual concern.

The two sides stressed that the resolve of the international community should work to extend channels of communications, cooperation and dialogue in regions and countries experiencing conflicts, so as to arrive at peaceful solutions to various regional and international challenges and lay down clear rules for settlements.

At the end of the talks, Sheikh Mohamed expressed his profound thanks and gratitude to the Chinese president for the warm reception accorded to HH and his accompanying delegation, which he said demonstrated the ancient traditions of the Chinese people.

HH also invited his host to visit the UAE.

Among those who attended the talks were Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of Federal National Council (FNC), 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, members of the delegation accompanying the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and a number of top Chinese ministers and officials.
Source: WAM