The visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his accompanying delegation to the UAE marks a new milestone in the already deep and friendly relations that have been forged between the two nations. Both the UAE and China share a strong political determination to enter into an even greater phase of mutual cooperation and integration. Indeed, the Leadership, Government and people of the UAE are very honoured to host President Xi, extending a warm formal welcome to the leader of the world’s most populous nation and one that shares many common ties and mutual goals with our nation.

Right now, trade between the UAE and China is worth $55 billion (Dh202.29 billion) and China’s foreign direct investment in the UAE was valued at $9.1 billion by the end of 2017, spread across sectors including oil, gas, infrastructure, finance, construction, telecommunications and trade. There are currently more than 200,000 Chinese citizens and 4,200 Chinese companies contributing to both economies, while last year alone, there was an increase of $610 million in direct investment from China in the UAE.

But the two nations also share a common outlook, as noted by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Following discussions on Friday between the Leadership of the UAE and President Xi, Shaikh Mohammad tweeted: “The UAE and China have a political and economic consensus and a strong foundation for projects in the field of energy, technology and infrastructure.”

The ties between the UAE and China are deep and resilient, as Shaikh Mohammad noted.

“I was there 28-years ago, during the first official visit to China by the UAE’s founding father, the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan,” Shaikh Mohammad tweeted. “Today, the UAE and China share ideal relations, and the Chinese leadership views the UAE as a key strategic partner in the region. We are connected with China through 100 daily flights a week, and we partially link China’s trade with the rest of the world through 444 cities with direct routes.”

And there is still more to this special relationship, as Shaikh Mohammad explained to President Xi — that the UAE can learn a lot from China’s development experience and its use of soft power and influence. During his visit, Xi was presented with the Order of Zayed, the highest honour this nation can bestow on an individual.

Both UAE and China now look forward to building on this momentous visit that has cemented the special ties between them.