The UAE will continue to be an important leader in China-Arab relations

President Sheikh Mohamed and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their recent meeting in Beijing. UAE Presidential Court

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President Sheikh Mohamed paid his first state visit to China, from May 30 to 31, to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. During the visit, the two heads of state guided China-UAE ties into a new era and turned a new page in their mutual relations.

Sheikh Mohamed was also invited to the opening ceremony of the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China-Arab States Co-operation Forum, which also marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Forum. The meeting links the past and future, focuses on unity and co-operation, and looks for ways to progress the relationship between China and the region.

Mr Xi, Sheikh Mohamed and the heads of state of Bahrain, Egypt and Tunisia attended the opening ceremony and delivered important speeches. The UAE’s high-level participation demonstrated its special status as an important member of the Arab family in China-Arab collective co-operation.

Looking back, the UAE has always been a key player in this effort. The Forum has been a golden signboard for promoting collective dialogue and practical co-operation between China and Arab states. After 20 years of development, it has become the most important platform for promoting the development of relations in the new century, a successful model of South-South co-operation with important global influence.

The UAE participates in all 19 mechanisms, including the Ministerial Conference of the Forum, Senior Officials’ Meeting and Senior Official Level Strategic Political Dialogue, to help enhance the level of collective co-operation in various fields.

In July 2018, First Abu Dhabi Bank joined the China-Arab Countries Inter-Bank Association as a founding member. Last October, against the backdrop of the sudden escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the 10th Symposium on China-Arab Relations and China-Arab Civilisation Dialogue was held in the UAE. The Symposium stressed support for the Global Civilisation Initiative proposed by Mr Xi, reaffirmed the need to respect the diversity of civilisations, advocate inclusiveness and mutual learning among them, and chart the course for resolving conflicts through dialogue.

Mr Xi has said that China-UAE relations set a model for relations between Beijing and Arab countries in the new era. As an Arab country with the widest, deepest and most fruitful ties with China, the UAE boasts almost all models of collective co-operation in every field. The UAE was one of the first Arab countries to sign the “Belt and Road” co-operation document. Many landmark projects such as the China-UAE Industrial Capacity Co-operation Demonstration Zone, Khalifa Port Phase II Container Terminal, Federal Railway and Hassyan Clean Coal-fired Power Plant have played an exemplary role in promoting mutual development.

China has been the largest trading partner of the Arab world since 2021, while the UAE remains China’s largest non-oil trading partner and largest export market in the region. The UAE is also the largest destination for Chinese investment in Arab countries, with investment flow to the Emirates exceeding $1.7 billion in 2023, accounting for 60 per cent of China’s total investment in the Arab region. The UAE’s own investment in China increased by 120 per cent year-on-year, accounting for 90 per cent of Arab countries’ investment there.

Looking ahead, the UAE will continue to be an important leader in China-Arab relations. At the opening ceremony of the Ministerial Conference of the Forum, Mr Xi announced that the second China-Arab States Summit will be held in China in 2026. He also emphasised that Beijing is willing to work with the Arab side to build a more dynamic and innovation-driven pattern, a larger-scale investment and financial pattern, a more three-dimensional energy co-operation pattern, a more balanced economic and trade reciprocity pattern, and broader people-to-people and cultural exchange pattern on the basis of the “Eight Major Common Actions” for practical co-operation. This will chart the direction and draw a blueprint for the development of China-Arab relations in the next stage and lead the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future.

In his speech at the opening ceremony, Sheikh Mohamed spoke highly of China’s important contribution to strengthening joint action with the UAE under the wise leadership of Mr Xi. He stressed that China and the UAE should work together to address common challenges, open broader prospects for collective co-operation, realise the common aspirations of the two peoples and give strongest support to collective co-operation.

With mutual understanding and support, China and Arab countries are embarking on a journey to realise the “Chinese Dream” and the “Arab Dream”. We are ready to work with our UAE friends to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, accelerate the building of a China-Arab community with a shared future and with a higher level of China-Arab relations, and achieve the common development and fruitful results of China-UAE comprehensive strategic partnership and China-Arab collective co-operation.