Xi meets crown prince of Abu Dhabi, makes four-point proposal on Middle East peace

BEIJING — President Xi Jinping met with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in Beijing on Tuesday.

Xi said that the UAE is a comprehensive strategic partner of China, and China has always attached great importance to developing relations with the UAE.

Through joint efforts of both sides, China-UAE relations have maintained healthy and stable development, and witnessed deepened political mutual trust, growing practical cooperation and rich people-to-people exchanges, Xi said.

Noting that consolidating and enhancing China-UAE relations is a firm consensus of both sides and meets the expectations of the people of both countries, Xi said China is willing to join hands with the UAE to build a more stable and dynamic China-UAE comprehensive strategic partnership.

Both sides should continue to support each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns, maintain high-level exchanges and consolidate strategic mutual trust, Xi said.

He called on both sides to strengthen the alignment of development strategies, and tap the potential for mutually beneficial cooperation in energy, investment, trade, science and technology and other fields.

The two countries should promote greater progress in cooperation in education, civil aviation, tourism and other fields, enhance people-to-people exchanges, and consolidate the foundation of public support, Xi added.

He called for enhancing coordination and cooperation in multilateral platforms such as the United Nations (UN) and BRICS, leveraging the stability of China-UAE relations to cope with the uncertainties in international and regional situations, and jointly promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

The two sides exchanged views on the current situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region. Xi emphasized China’s position on promoting peace and talks, and reaffirmed that China will continue to play a constructive role in this regard.

Xi put forward a four-point proposal on promoting peace and stability in the Middle East.

Xi called for adherence to the principle of peaceful coexistence. Countries in the Middle East and Gulf region are interdependent and inseparable neighbors. Efforts should be made to support these countries to improve their relations, and it is imperative to promote the building of a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security architecture for the Middle East and the Gulf region.

He urged adherence to the principle of national sovereignty. Sovereignty serves as a foundation for all countries, especially developing countries, to survive and thrive, and it must not be violated. The sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of countries in the Middle East and the Gulf region should be fully respected, and the safety of personnel, facilities and institutions of all countries should be effectively safeguarded.

On adherence to the principle of international rule of law, Xi said the authority of international rule of law should be upheld, rejecting selective application to prevent the world from falling back into the law of the jungle. He called for firmly upholding the international system with the UN at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms of international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

He said development and security should be coordinated. Security makes development possible, and development helps maintain security. All parties should work together to create a favorable environment for the development of countries in the Middle East and the Gulf region. China is ready to share with these countries the opportunities brought about by Chinese modernization to strengthen the foundation for regional development and security.

Noting that the UAE attaches great importance to developing relations with China, Sheikh Khaled said his country is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen cooperation in various fields, open up broader prospects for bilateral relations, and benefit the people of both countries.

Sheikh Khaled said the UAE appreciates China’s responsible and constructive role in international affairs and its active efforts to seek political solutions to the current crisis in the Middle East.

The UAE is committed to maintaining close communication and coordination with China to promote a ceasefire among the parties concerned, restore regional peace and stability at an early date, safeguard international shipping security, and prevent further impact on the global economy and energy security, he said.

He added that the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions will be effectively protected.