China ready to play useful role in Gulf peace, Li says

Premier Li Qiang said on Monday that China stands ready to further play a constructive role in helping restore peace and stability in the Gulf region, while meeting in Beijing with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

He said that ever since the conflict in Iran broke out, China has been in close communication with relevant parties and is actively committed to promoting peace and ending the war.

He also expressed the hope that the UAE would continue to take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in the country.

The crown prince is on a three-day visit to China through Tuesday.

During the talks, Li said the two sides should consolidate the foundation of energy cooperation while tapping the potential for collaboration in energy storage, hydrogen and new energy vehicles. The two sides should also foster new drivers of trade growth by expanding the scale and optimizing the structure of trade, he added.

The UAE is China's largest export market and its second-largest trading partner in the Middle East. Official data shows that bilateral trade in goods reached 772.617 billion yuan ($113.1 billion) last year, up 6.6 percent year-on-year.

Noting the broad prospects for cooperation in innovation-driven development, Li welcomed greater UAE investment in areas such as artificial intelligence, the digital economy, advanced manufacturing and life sciences.

He added that the two sides could also step up cooperation in connectivity and finance, and continue to facilitate trade and investment.

The crown prince said the UAE places the development of relations with China high on the list of its foreign policy priorities, and looks forward to China continuing to play an important role in promoting peace and security in the Middle East, while pledging to safeguard the safety of Chinese citizens in the UAE.

After the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of a number of cooperation documents, including those in the areas of agriculture, science and technology.

The crown prince's visit comes at a time of renewed regional tensions after talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan, failed to produce an agreement.

Earlier, when meeting with Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, special envoy of the UAE president to China, who is accompanying the crown prince on his visit, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that closing the Strait of Hormuz would run counter to the common interests of the international community, and achieving a full and lasting ceasefire through political and diplomatic means remains the fundamental way to resolve the crisis.

China fully understands the legitimate security concerns of the Arab states and supports the UAE in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and legitimate rights and interests, he said.

In another development, Wang had a phone conversation with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Monday.

Wang said that the top priority is to make every effort to prevent the conflict from reigniting in the Middle East and maintain the hard-won momentum of the ceasefire.

zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn