China has grown into one of the top trading partners of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of State, as Chinese President Xi Jinping is paying his first state visit to the UAE.

“We look forward to welcoming President Xi Jinping to the UAE,” Sultan told People’s Daily during an exclusive interview, adding that the first visit by Xi to the UAE is a momentous occasion and a landmark in the relationship between the two countries.

He said that Xi’s visit will build on the excellent foundation that has already been established to create even closer ties between the two countries, culturally, politically and economically.

“We are confident that the meetings between the leaders of both countries will be constructive and productive. Importantly, this visit represents an ideal opportunity to develop our strategic partnership and create lasting positive impact for both nations, the Middle East and Asia,” the minister noted.

Xi’s vision on economic and social development is to be commended, said Sultan, who spoke highly of the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by the Chinese President.

Comparing the initiative as a bridge connecting countries along the route, he added that the UAE has been keenly aware of the great potential that the Initiative offers in promoting prosperity and fostering regional stability.

As a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the UAE wants to work with China to leverage the opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative, said the minister.

Sultan cited Abu Dhabi Ports and China Cosco Shipping Corporation Limited as an example. The two companies agreed in 2017 to build a container terminal that will double Abu Dhabi’s handling capacity.

Apart from enhancing the seaborne trade between the two countries, the project will also strengthen the UAE’s capability to support the Belt and Road construction.

Sultan said that the UAE and China have deepened their bilateral relationship since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1984, and the relationship was further strengthened by a succession of high-level visits in recent years.

The bilateral trade jumped by 15 percent to $52 billion last year, expanding an impressive 800-fold compared with the 1984 figure, making China one of the UAE’s top trading partners, remarked the minister.

The links between the two countries now span almost every sector, including energy, logistics, infrastructure, manufacturing, technology, finance, education, culture and tourism, bringing huge benefits to both sides, Sultan noted.

He said the UAE greatly values its relationship with China and is committed to growing it and looks forward to strengthening the close partnership across all spheres.

“By fully embracing and reinforcing our relations, politically, economically and culturally, we will achieve even greater benefits for both our countries and promote enduring advancement beyond our borders,” he told People’s Daily.

Some 60 percent of all China’s exports to the Gulf Cooperation Council region travel through the UAE, according to Sultan. He said that as a logistics and trading hub, the UAE wants to work with China, to leverage the opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative, by capitalizing on its key strength as a regional center of commerce.

He expected a bigger role of his country in the deepened partnership between the Arab countries and China.

“The UAE strongly believes closer relations between the Arab world and China will foster greater economic growth and stability, both regionally and globally,” Sultan said.

China’s determination to adopt market systems and open trade and investment policies, along with its focus on human development, has allowed it to become a very dynamic and innovative economy with momentum for continued growth, Sultan stressed.