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China shores up strategic ties with the United Arab Emirates as Beijing extends its Mideast reach
- Foreign Minister Wang Yi seeks UAE backing for a regional free trade deal, calling for resistance to ‘foreign interference’
- The Emirates may be Beijing’s closest Arab Gulf partner at the moment, observer says
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China has urged an Arab ally to help advance a free trade deal between Beijing and the Gulf Cooperation Council as the Asian giant extends its engagement with the Middle East.
In a phone call on Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, that a deal should be realised as early as possible.
“We should effectively … complete the free trade agreement [between China and the council] as soon as possible for the greater development of China’s relations with Arab states and the GCC.”
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Trade negotiations between China and the GCC began in 2004 but have repeatedly stalled because of hesitation among Gulf leaders.
Wang tried to advance the talks in 2021 during his previous stint as foreign minister.
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In his latest appeal, he said the UAE had strong ties with China and was “an important strategic partner for China in the Middle East”, according to a foreign ministry statement.
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