UAE Embassy in Beijing hosts the “First UAE-China Think Tank Forum”

Beijing (WAM)
His Excellency Hussain Ibrahim Al Hammadi, UAE Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, stressed that UAE-Chinese relations, under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, and His Excellency Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, are witnessing remarkable development at all levels: economic, commercial, cultural, political and diplomatic.
This came during the launch of the first forum of UAE-China think tanks, which was hosted by the UAE Embassy in the Chinese capital, Beijing, from August 29-30, 2024.
The forum was held under the slogan “Together to build a sustainable and ambitious shared future”, with the participation and attendance of more than 100 academic, intellectual and scientific figures, belonging to a number of universities, ministries, departments, government agencies, research institutions, the private sector, and national and international financial institutions in both countries. They discussed, over two days, a number of topics related to ways to enhance cooperation and partnership relations between the two countries.
New Horizons
This forum is a step in the journey of bilateral relations between the two countries, contributing to opening new horizons of cooperation and partnership. The forum aims to create consensus among academic and research circles on mechanisms to enhance comprehensive cooperation between the two countries in a number of areas of common interest, such as economic and trade exchange, scientific research, culture, and education. The conference also aims to provide a platform for cooperation and dialogue between think tanks in the United Arab Emirates and the People’s Republic of China, and to explore opportunities for cooperation based on academic projects between the best think tanks from both countries.
Strengthening cooperation
His Excellency Hussain Al Hammadi said: “This forum is an opportunity to enhance cooperation in a number of areas of common interest such as trade, education and culture, reflecting the depth and strength of cooperation and partnership relations and our joint commitment to cooperate to build a more sustainable and prosperous future.”
His Excellency added: “The scientific and research aspect receives special attention from the wise leadership of the two countries, and we are committed to providing all means to develop cooperation in these promising fields that benefit the two friendly peoples. Through cooperation in the field of scientific and intellectual research and joint projects, we contribute together to developing solutions to global challenges in the renewable energy sector and other fields.”
Strong relationships
The forum is being held in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the UAE and China in 1984. These bilateral relations have developed rapidly to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership, which was announced in July 2018 during the visit of His Excellency Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, to the UAE.
UAE-China relations also witnessed a strong boost after the historic state visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, to Beijing in May 2024, during which many agreements and memoranda of cooperation were signed between the two sides.
The UAE-China relations are a model for bilateral relations at the international level, as the UAE is China’s largest non-oil trading partner in the Arab region, and China is the UAE’s first trading partner with a value of 82 billion US dollars in 2023. The volume of trade exchange between the UAE and China has increased by about 800 times since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two parties. The volume of trade exchange between the two countries is targeted to reach 200 billion US dollars by 2030.
Four sessions
The forum included four sessions, the first of which was entitled “Promoting Regional and Global Peace through Pluralism”, while the second session addressed topics of trade, logistics, and economic recovery.
The second day of the forum included a session entitled Technology and the New Industrial Revolution, Education, Culture and Tourism, while the fourth and final session was dedicated to a brief closing discussion.