MOHAMED BIN ZAYED TO VISIT CHINA NEXT WEEK
▶ Crown Prince’s trip will build on economic ties and co-operation
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed will embark on an official visit to China next week to further cement ties between the Emirates and the world’s most populous country.
Sheikh Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior officials.
He and Mr Xi are due to review co-operation between the countries across various sectors, as well as regional and international issues, the state news agency Wam reported.
Among the senior figures accompanying the Sheikh Mohamed will be Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, chief executive of the Adnoc Group and chairman of Masdar.
The visit to China comes almost a year after Mr Xi travelled to the UAE, strengthening the history of trade and co-operation between the two countries.
Today, there are estimated to be 200,000 Chinese living in the UAE, mostly in Dubai, in industries ranging from construction and oil to retail.
There is also a community of about 2,000 Chinese in Abu Dhabi.
“Over 28 years ago, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan visited China, founded the strategic relationship between the two countries that has yielded fruitful trade and investment as well as cultural relations for more than three decades,” Sheikh Mohamed said before Mr Xi’s trip last year.
In April, China signed an agreement to invest US$3.4 billion (Dh12.48bn) into shipping and food projects in Dubai, part of its Belt and Road economic project.
In December 2015, Sheikh Mohamed wrapped up a threeday official tour of China declaring that it had been “outstanding”.
He arrived in Beijing for meetings to promote the development of relations and co-operation with China but took time to visit some of the country’s renowned tourist attractions, including the Great Wall.
The visit of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to China in April this year resulted in the announcement of the two shipping and food projects for his emirate.
The first was a megaproject to build a “traders market” along Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road opposite to the Expo Dubai site, over an initial area of 186 hectares.
The Chinese company Yiwu will invest $2.4bn in the project, which includes large logistics warehouses and wholesale retail outlets.
They will strengthen Jebel Ali Free Zone’s role in supporting regional and global trade movement.
The second agreement was signed with the China-Arab investment Fund, which would invest $1bn to implement a “vegetable basket” project in Dubai.
It will include huge complexes and cold storage warehouses for importing, processing, packaging, storage and re-export of agricultural, livestock and fish products.
The friendship between China and the Arab states dates to ancient times, and was cemented initially through the Silk Road trade route for the past 2,000 years.