On February 10, 2011, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who is on an official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Mohammed said the UAE-China relations are currently at an important period of in-depth development and faced with good opportunities. The UAE attaches great importance to its relations with China and hopes to cement the traditional friendship between the two countries and develop pragmatic cooperation in various fields, he added. Sheikh Mohammed said the UAE expects that China will continue to play a positive role in international and regional affairs.
Yang said China and the UAE have witnessed in recent years rapid development in their bilateral ties, with closer high-level contacts, increasingly strengthened mutual political trust, fruitful cooperation in such areas as trade and economy, and broadened cultural exchanges. China has praised the UAE's support in Xinjiang-related and human rights issues, he added. China is willing to deepen friendship, broaden cooperation, and enhance coordination with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in international and regional affairs, Yang said.
Earlier in the day, Yang also met with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Both sides reached broad consensus after exchanging views on bilateral ties as well as the Middle East and other regional issues of common concern. Both sides agreed to further consolidate bilateral political trust and enhance mutual support on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns. They also agreed to deepen pragmatic cooperation in all areas, expand bilateral trade, strengthen two-way investment and conduct cooperation on infrastructure construction and development of renewable energy. Both sides pledged to enhance coordination in international and regional affairs and jointly push China’s collective cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for more outcomes.
The Chinese foreign minister arrived in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi on February 9 for an official visit to the Gulf nation.