President Xi Jinping put forward a four-point proposal on promoting peace and stability in the Middle East on Tuesday in a meeting in Beijing with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Xi called for adherence to the principle of peaceful coexistence. It is imperative to promote the building of a common, comprehensive, co-operative and sustainable security architecture for the Middle East and the Gulf region, he noted.

He urged adherence to the principle of national sovereignty, saying 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 to prevent the world from falling back into the law of the jungle.

The rule of law cannot be "used when convenient and discarded when not", he said to the Crown Prince.

Xi said development and security should be co-ordinated. All parties should work together to create a favourable environment for the development of countries in the Middle East and the Gulf region.

He told Sheikh Khaled, who also chairs the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, that China was willing to work with the UAE to build a more robust, resilient and dynamic strategic partnership.

The visit by the crown prince of the largest of the ‌UAE's seven emirates underscores a long-term commitment to expand a growing economic corridor with China, building on momentum generated by the 2024 visit of Sheikh Khaled's father.

On Monday, the UAE's national airline, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, announced a plan to significantly expand its network of flights between the UAE capital and Chinese cities this year and next.

Highlighting the UAE's push to deepen economic ⁠ties with China, Sheikh Khaled's ‌delegation included Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil ‌Company and industry minister; investment minister Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi; and trade minister Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi.

On Monday, Premier Li Qiang told the crown prince that Beijing was ‌willing to explore co-operation in energy storage, hydrogen and new energy vehicles.

Bilateral trade should be "expanded in scale, but also optimised structurally," Li said, adding that China welcomed more UAE investment in sectors such as artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and life sciences.

Later this year, China plans to host the second China-Arab States Summit, ⁠where Beijing hopes to complete talks on a free trade pact between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. (Xinhua & Reuters)



Edited by Thomas McAlinden