Mohammed bin Zayed meets Chinese National People's Congress chairman

Beijing - April 1, 2012 (WAM) - His Highness Gen. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces has reiterated the interest of the UAE, under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in furthering cooperation in all spheres with the People's Republic of China which he said had achieved industrial and technological progress and played a significant global political and economic role. Sheikh Mohammed made his remarks as he met with Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. He expressed appreciation of the warm welcome and hospitality he and the accompanying UAE delegation were accorded by the Chinese. The two sides expressed the common desire for elevating cooperation between the UAE and China to strategic relations, increasing investments and the exchange of visits of businessmen, expanding scientific and educational exchange and increasing the number of Chinese tourists in the UAE. The meeting discussed ways to further advance cooperation and relations between the two countries. "Trade between the UAE and China has been growing significantly and we are looking forward to increasing the rate of this growth based on the developing bilateral relations between the two countries," he added. His Highness expressed satisfaction over the outcome of his meetings with the Chinese officials which he said would contribute to cementing economic, trade and investment relations between the UAE and China. He also reiterated the UAE's interest in encouraging Chinese language learning, parliamentarian cooperation and increasing the exchange of parliamentarian visits to promote cooperation and friendly ties. Sheikh Mohammed also underscored the cultural and educational exchanges and the interest some Emirati students show in learning Chinese language in the UAE. For his part, Wu Bangguo expressed his country's interest in promoting strategic relations with the UAE. He hailed the role His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed plays in promoting these relations in particular in fields such as energy and infrastructure. Citing higher education and scientific research as two areas of cooperation the UAE officials are interested in promoting to build bridges with China, Bangguo said he hopes the number of Emiratis pursuing studies in China would increase. The senior Chinese official commended the interest the leadership of the UAE shows in cementing relations with China in the best interests of the peoples of the two countries. China's top parliamentarian noted that the Sheikh Zayed Centre for Arabic Language and Islamic Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University plays a significant role in preparing Arabic proficient Chinese students as well as in invigorating media, cultural and educational between the two countries. He also hailed the interest the UAE showed years ago in teaching Chinese language at a number of schools to bolster friendship and cultural interaction between the two countries. - Emirates News Agency, WAM