UAE, China discuss 'outstanding friendship' in call
China is working on improving its relations with Gulf states, primarily focusing on development.
The top diplomats of the United Arab Emirates and China discussed strengthening cooperation in a phone call Thursday.
UAE Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. The two discussed the Global Development Initiative that Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed at the United Nations General Assembly summit this week. The initiative calls for close coordination between major economies to prioritize development in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They also discussed cooperation on sustainable development and Nahyan praised China’s “pioneering efforts” on climate change. Yi also praised the UAE for its role in maintaining global security, the official Emirates News Agency reported.
Nayhan referred to the UAE’s “outstanding friendship” with China, according to the agency.
The UAE and other Gulf states have traditionally been close allies of the United States. China has sought to improve its relations with the Gulf and Chinese diplomats toured the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Omar earlier this year.
