Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received the Chinese President Xi Jinping who is currently visiting the UAE
President Xi Jinping was given a formal reception as the national anthem of both countries was played and the Chinese President reviewed a Guard of Honour and a 21-gun salute was fired in honour of the guest and an air display was performed.
The reception, at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi, was attended by the Vice Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council His Highness Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Lt. General His Highness Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Advisor His Highness Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and a number of sheikhs.
China’s President Xi Jinping held talks Friday with top UAE leaders on ways of bolstering bilateral relations on the second day of a visit ahead of a three-nation Africa tour.
Xi met UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashed al-Maktoum, who is also ruler of Dubai, and Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, the crown price said.
They discussed “strengthening strategic bilateral ties as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest with the Chinese president,” the crown prince said on Twitter.
The visit by Xi — who arrived in Abu Dhabi on Thursday for a three day trip — follows China and the Emirates agreeing oil and trade deals.
State-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Co said Thursday it had awarded two contracts worth $1.6 billion to BGP Inc, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Co, for a seismic survey in the emirate.
The survey is to search for oil and gas in onshore and offshore sites covering an area of 53,000 square kilometres (20,463 square miles).
The UAE’s state-owned DP World announced an agreement by the two countries to build a new trade zone in Dubai.
The project is part of China’s trillion-dollar “One Belt, One Road” infrastructure initiative, an ambitious plan to revive the ancient Silk Road trading routes with a global network of ports, roads and railways.
In a further sign of strengthening ties between the two countries, Dubai-based real estate developer Emaar Properties on Wednesday announced plans to build the Middle East’s largest Chinatown in the UAE.
Abu Dhabi is the Chinese president’s first stop on a tour which also includes Senegal, Rwanda and South Africa.
