A view of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, October 16, 2024. /CFP
The first staging of the Dubai Forum was held on Wednesday in Dubai. Over 1,500 attendees gathered at the one-day forum to address the bilateral relations and future cooperation between China and the United Arab Emirates.
Themed "40 Years Together for Future Development," the event highlighted three main areas for emerging bilateral cooperation: new energy, new generation, and new media.
Long-term friendship
In his opening remarks, Chinese Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Zhang Yiming noted that China is the UAE's largest trading partner while the UAE is China's top non-oil trade partner, largest export market, and leading investment destination in the Arab world.
He said there is always room for improvement in China-UAE cooperation and urged participants to focus on current opportunities while looking to the future to enhance collaboration in the energy, youth and media sectors.
Chinese Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Zhang Yiming delivers a keynote speech at the Dubai Forum. /CMG
Wu Hailong, president of the China Public Diplomacy Association, said China and the UAE have relied on each other in pursuing independent development paths and safeguarding national sovereignty and security.
He commended the two nations for their mutual support in achieving national rejuvenation, ensuring the happiness of their peoples, promoting sustainable development, and setting a paradigm for win-win cooperation in the new era.
Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, president and CEO of Dubai Chambers, said China is the UAE's largest non-oil trading partner and that the UAE is the preferred investment destination for China in the Arab region.
He expressed the Dubai Chamber's commitment to deepening cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative across the trade, logistics, real estate, construction, and high-tech sectors, focusing on artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, green technology, and healthcare.
New chapter for cooperation
Noting the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the UAE as a starting point, Chinese Consul General in Dubai Ou Boqian explained the significant effort put into organizing the forum.
It is important to shape narratives about China and the UAE to present a true image of these two dynamic countries to the world, she told CGTN, highlighting the role of new media as a gateway in this aspect.
The Dubai Forum was co-hosted by the Chinese Consulate General in Dubai, the China Public Diplomacy Association, the Dubai Government Media Office, and the Dubai Chamber of Commerce. It aimed to create a public communication platform to contribute wisdom and strength to deepen practical cooperation.