UAE, China explore opportunities to strengthen cooperation

Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNOC, and Chairman of Masdar, conducted a working visit to the People’s Republic of China, where he met with senior Chinese government officials as well as top executives from leading Chinese companies.

 The visit aimed to strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation in energy, renewable energy, industry, and infrastructure.

 During the visit, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber met with Lan Fo’an, China’s Minister of Finance, and Liu Jianchao, Head of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (CPC) of China, and Zou Jiayi, President of AIIB in the presence of Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, UAE Ambassador to China.

 Dr. Al Jaber emphasised the UAE’s unwavering commitment to strengthening and expanding the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China, and the importance of launching new initiatives that support the development goals of both nations, with a focus on empowering national companies and enhancing collaboration between the public and private sectors, in a way that supports mutual sustainable economic growth and prosperity.

 Dr. Sultan Al Jaber held a series of meetings with senior leaders from major Chinese companies, including Wang Yuetao, Chairman of ZhenHua Oil, Liao Zengtai, Chairman of Wanhua, a leading chemicals manufacturing company; Liu Haoling, President of the China Investment Corporation (CIC); Dai Houliang, Chairman of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), one of the world’s largest energy and petrochemical companies; Zhang Chuanjiang, Chairman of China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC); Zhang Lei, Chairman of Envision, specialising in renewables and smart energy management solutions; Song Hailiang, Chairman of China Energy Engineering Corporation (CEEC), active in energy and infrastructure projects; and Chen Guanfu, Chairman of POWERCHINA International.

 The meetings focused on the latest developments in cooperation across energy sectors, including renewables, oil and gas, LNG, refining, and petrochemicals, as well as strategic shipping and storage.

 They also explored ways to enhance investments in priority areas of mutual interest and potential industrial infrastructure projects, in line with both countries’ shared interest to advancing industrial and technological partnerships that support sustainable development, facilitate knowledge transfer and localisation, and boost global competitiveness.

 China remains the UAE’s largest trading partner, with total bilateral trade exceeding US$100 billion in 2024, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 7%, driven primarily by an 18% increase in imports.

 In the first quarter of 2025, non-oil trade between the two countries grew by approximately 18% compared to the same period last year, supported by a 32.5% rise in exports, a 20.2% increase in re-exports, and a 12.7% growth in imports.

WAM