Abu Dhabi: The UAE and China have a long history of economic cooperation, which developed greatly under the UAE’s Founding Father, Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, said Dr Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber, Minister of State and chairman of the National Media Council (NMC).
Al Jaber said Shaikh Zayed was keen to strengthen these important relations. “He was a forward-looking visionary who recognised the important role China plays in the international community. Today, China is one of the most influential players in international relations, not only in the political and economic arenas, but also in many other spheres,” he said.
Al Jaber stressed that the UAE leadership continues to build bridges of cooperation and communication with the international community, highlighting that relations between the UAE and China witnessed a substantial leap following the visit of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to Beijing in December 2015.
“Our relationship with China is a long-term strategic one that encompasses a multitude of aspects — political, economic, cultural, social, tourism, among others. The UAE-China relationship is rooted in the principles of mutual respect, constructive dialogue and meaningful cooperation to achieve their common interests in a variety of sectors.”
Al Jaber emphasised that the UAE is a country that cherishes its guests, stating that the UAE leadership, government and people are looking forward to welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping on his forthcoming visit.
“This will be the first foreign visit by the Chinese president following his re-election,” he noted, “and it confirms the important status the UAE has attained thanks to the vision of its wise leadership. The visit will contribute greatly to strengthening the strategic relations between the UAE and China, with the leaderships of the two friendly countries having a common view on basic topics, the most important of which is that economic and social development is the basis for achieving security and stability in the region and the world. The leaderships of the UAE and China are committed to working towards security, peace, stability, growth, prosperity and progress for humanity as a whole.”
The minister added that the strategic cooperation between the UAE and China aims to realise the interests of both countries across an array of fields, including politics, economy, trade, energy, technology, culture and tourism. He stressed that there is already tangible, substantive cooperation between the two countries in the energy sector, with a significant number of projects and initiatives already under way between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Chinese energy companies.
Al Jaber added that China, along with other areas of Southeast Asia, is experiencing significant economic growth and is one of Adnoc’s major markets for the production and marketing of oil and gas, for refining and its derivatives, and for petrochemicals and their related industries. He pointed out that the UAE is keen to expand Adnoc’s presence in China to meet the strong growth in demand for hydrocarbons, and said that the company already enjoys a significant presence in China through its subsidiary Borouge, which is issuing 1.2 million tonnes of its polyolefin products per year to China — a third of Borouge’s global sales.
