Jointly Building the "the Belt and Road" and Strengthening Partnership (International Forum)

The high-quality joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" is a favorable opportunity for the development of the UAE, which is consistent with the "2071 century plan" of the UAE. The high-quality joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" has strengthened the social and cultural ties between Afghanistan and China and promoted the people to people and cultural exchanges between the two countries

The world today is full of uncertainty, and countries need to pay more attention to international cooperation to resolve geopolitical risks, build diversified trade partnerships, and deeply expand market opportunities. Many countries engage with different dialogue partners to seek to expand multilateral cooperation. The UAE is committed to establishing high-quality strategic partnerships with various countries, strengthening exchanges and cooperation through regular dialogues, high-level meetings, and signing bilateral agreements. In 2012, the United Arab Emirates became the first Gulf Arab country to establish a strategic partnership with China. In 2018, Afghanistan and China established a comprehensive strategic partnership.

In May of this year, UAE President Mohammed visited China and attended the opening ceremony of the 10th Ministerial Conference of the China Arab States Cooperation Forum. Taking the celebration of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations as an opportunity, the two countries will further deepen and expand cooperation in various fields such as economy, trade, investment, energy, science and technology, education, and humanities. In the joint statement issued by the two countries, the Arab side stressed its support for the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" initiative and was willing to continue to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields, including joint investment cooperation within the framework of the "the Belt and Road" in other countries. Both sides also signed multiple bilateral cooperation documents.

The high-quality joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" is a favorable opportunity for the development of the UAE, which is consistent with the "2071 century plan" of the UAE. Transit trade is an important component of the UAE's trade with other countries. With the help of the "the Belt and Road" initiative, UAE's entrepot trade has continued to grow in recent years. According to statistics, China will continue to maintain its position as the largest non oil trading partner of the United Arab Emirates in 2023, with a non oil trade volume of approximately 81 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 4.2%.

Chinese companies are actively investing in infrastructure construction in the United Arab Emirates. Halifa Port Phase II Container Terminal is an important project for both sides to jointly build the "the Belt and Road". With the help of Chinese enterprises, the service capabilities of Khalifa Port have been improved. The China UAE Production Capacity Cooperation Demonstration Park has attracted multiple Chinese enterprises to settle in. Abu Dhabi Ports Group has signed multiple cooperation agreements with Chinese partners, covering various fields such as port operations, port infrastructure construction, cargo transportation, and warehousing services. The two countries also jointly set up a joint investment fund to support the construction of the "the Belt and Road" cooperation project. In 2023, China's investment flow to the United Arab Emirates exceeded 1.7 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 16.48%; The UAE's investment in China increased by 120% year-on-year, accounting for 90% of Arab countries' investment in China. Chinese investment also played an important role in the successful hosting of the 2020 Dubai World Expo.

The high-quality joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" has strengthened the social and cultural ties between Afghanistan and China and promoted people to people and cultural exchanges between the two countries. In recent years, the two countries have carried out various forms of cultural exchanges in a wide range of fields, enhanced mutual understanding between the two peoples, and created good conditions for further deepening mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthening exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations. Looking ahead to the future, there is vast space and bright prospects for further strengthening exchanges and cooperation between Afghanistan and China.

(The author is the Director of the UAE Trend Research Center)