Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Monday reaffirmed the UAE's (United Arab Emirates) position in bilateral relations with China. He said the UAE will remain as the best strategic partner for China even if global landscapes change through the years.
According to China Daily, the crown prince pledged that Abu Dhabi will continue to support China amid issues that relate to the Asian country's key interests. Some analysts believe his statements were in reference to Beijing's trade disputes with the United States.
Aside from reaffirming the UAE's support for China, the crown prince also confirmed that Abu Dhabi is ready to provide energy-related products to China as well as invest in financial and aerospace deals for the country.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said that for China's part in expanding cooperation between the two sides, his country will continue to support the UAE's bid to retain peace and stability in the region.
Xi also recommended that to further promote peace, differences in beliefs and standards should be resolved by calmly negotiating about the matter. He said mutual respect should be prioritized in dispute talks so cooperation will not be hampered.
Beijing's chief also stressed that China is ready to coordinate with Abu Dhabi in its efforts to protect the Arab state from terrorism. Xi said justice, multilateralism, and equality are the foundations through which the two sides will promote effective cooperation towards goals that will benefit the countries.
UAE's crown prince kicked off his China state visit on Sunday and will be in the country until Tuesday. Local media confirmed that the two sides signed several documents for programs that encourage cooperation.
One of the major breakthroughs in the China-UAE relations is the signing of trade agreements between China's National Offshore Oil Co (CNOOC) and Abu Dhabi's National Oil Co (ADNOC), Reuters reported.
ADNOC said in a statement that under the agreement, the companies will exchange updated information focused on developing natural gas fields for the benefit of sectors working around natural gas.
The companies also agreed to explore opportunities in Abu Dhabi's gas and oil field assets, as well as potential collaborative work on liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchases.
According to Gulf News, a total of 16 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed during Sheikh Mohamed's visit to China. Among the sectors involved in the agreements are defense and military, environmental protection and conservation, food security and agriculture, and technological and scientific research.
The countries also agreed to make peaceful utilization of nuclear energy as well as encourage Chinese language teaching in UAE education.
