President Xi Jinping of China, his wife, Peng Liyuan, and the rest of the Chinese delegation, finally arrived in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, July 19, for a three-day state visit, reports confirmed.
The visit holds historical significance for both countries since this would be the first to be done by a Chinese head of state in 29 years.
Leaders of the United Arab Emirates including His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, met the honored guests and his travel party with a welcoming ceremony held at the Abu Dhabi International Airport.
The visitors were also warmly greeted by some local children who gave them flowers upon their arrival.
The official reception ceremony for the Chinese head of state includes the playing of China's national anthem, as well as the firing of a 21-gun salute.
Chinese expats also joined the celebration of Xi Jinping's official visit to the Arab state. According to Gulf News, several telecom providers changed their names to read "WelcomePresChina." Key buildings in Dubai also displayed announcements on the President's visit.
The Chinese community in Dubai and all over UAE expressed their hopes that the official meeting between the two states will further cement the warm relationship shared by UAE and China.
Few key areas expected to be addressed by the leaders include trade and business, which actually has been going on well for more than 30 years already, according to the report.
Moreover, Xi Jinping's presence in the Arab region will have a significant impact especially among the people in China, who will get to know more about the UAE and its relationship with their country.
Majority of Chinese media outfits, as well as news websites, are covering the official visit.
As reported earlier, the Chinese president's UAE visit follows after the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum that was held in Beijing. The meeting saw the signing of several economic agreements between the countries.
At the CASCF, Xi pointed out that the current administration is looking to further "enhance strategic mutual trust" among its partner nations, including the UAE.
After Dubai, Xi will head down to Johannesburg, South Africa for the 10th annual BRICS summit. BRICS is an economic association of countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
