UAE | Government

China salutes an 'old friend'

UAE to sign agreements with China on defence industries, education, customs and security cooperation.

  • By Abdul Hamid Ahmad, Editor-in-Chief
  • Published: 00:41 April 1, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Shaikh Mohammad and Hu Jintao hold talks in Beijing on Monday. The Chinese leader stressed the UAE Vice-President's great role in developing bilateral ties between the two countries.
  • Image Credit: AP
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Beijing: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, yesterday began a four-day visit to China during which a number of agreements will be signed, including one on defence industries, Gulf News has learnt.

He held talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao on bilateral and economic relations and mutual investment between the two countries yesterday.

The Chinese leader described Shaikh Mohammad as an "old friend" of the Chinese people, stressing the UAE Vice-President's "great role" in developing the bilateral ties, according to WAM.

Shaikh Mohammad said: "It is a great honour for me to visit China for the second time and meet the Chinese leader as well as to closely get to know the great Chinese civilisation." Shaikh Mohammad highlighted the volume of trade between the UAE and China, which has grown by an annual average of 40 per cent to $20 billion (Dh73.4 million) in 2007. The UAE is China's second-biggest trading partner in the Gulf after Saudi Arabia. Shaikh Mohammad also invited President Hu to visit the UAE. Later, Shaikh Mohammad and the accompanying delegation toured the Old City of Beijing.

During the visit, which ends on Thursday, the UAE and China will sign memorandums of understanding and agreements on bilateral cooperation, education, a customs agreement to exchange information related to drug smuggling, another on security cooperation and in defence industries, officials told Gulf News.

Today, Shaikh Mohammad is scheduled to visit Tsing-Hua University, where he will have a round-table discussion with 20 students on various issues. The students will be presented with copies of his book, My Vision, in the Chinese language.

Shaikh Mohammad will also visit the Great Wall of China, and meet the Governor of Beijing and other local officials.

Shaikh Mohammad will later leave for Shanghai where he will attend the joint economic forum between UAE and Chinese businessmen, which started on Sunday and ends today.

Shaikh Mohammad will return to Beijing to meet Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao on Wednesday.

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