BEIJING – China is ready to work with the United Arab Emirates to deepen the synergy of development strategies, strengthen two-way investment, and deliver more high-level cooperation outcomes to jointly deepen and consolidate China-UAE relations, the Chinese foreign minister said on Friday.

Speaking over the phone with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Wang Yi said the UAE is an important strategic partner of China in the Middle East.

China will continue to support the UAE in pursuing an independent development path, and will work with the UAE to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, jointly oppose external interference, and safeguard the sovereignty, security and development interests of the two countries, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

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Both sides should take the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries next year as an opportunity to further consolidate the traditional friendship between their people, he said.

The two sides should implement the important outcomes of the first China-Arab States Summit and the China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit, strive for reaching an agreement on the China-GCC free trade as soon as possible, and promote greater development of China-Arab relations as well as China-GCC relations, said the Chinese minister.

China supports the UAE in hosting the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and stands ready to strengthen strategic coordination with the UAE on the global stage, jointly uphold true multilateralism, oppose unilateralism and bullying, safeguard the basic norms of international relations, and defend international equity and justice, he added.

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For his part, Sheikh Abdullah said China is not only an important economic partner of the UAE but also a comprehensive strategic partner.

Noting that the UAE cherishes the bilateral friendship, he said the UAE is willing to work with China to seize the opportunity to promote further development of UAE-China relations and achieve more cooperation results in bilateral fields and multilateral affairs.