China and the United Arab Emirates have expressed readiness to step up high-level exchanges, deepen cooperation in such areas as investment, energy and tourism, explore trilateral cooperation, and strengthen people-to-people exchanges, with a view to further elevating relations.

The commitments were made on Friday during talks in Abu Dhabi between visiting Foreign Minister Wang Yi and UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Wang described the UAE as a Middle East country with unique and significant influence, and a natural friend and partner of China.

He emphasized China supports the UAE in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions, supports the measures it has taken to safeguard national security and development, and supports the country in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs.

China stands ready to enhance high-level exchanges with the UAE, consolidate political mutual trust and upgrade bilateral ties, Wang said.

The two sides should continue advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deepen collaboration in traditional sectors such as investment, oil and gas, and infrastructure, while expanding cooperation in emerging fields including new energy and technological innovation, he noted.

Wang also called for exploring trilateral cooperation, ensuring the success of the bilateral industrial capacity cooperation demonstration park, and jointly pursuing high-quality development.

People-to-people exchanges should be further strengthened, Wang said, expressing hope that the two countries will strive to achieve the goal of offering Chinese-language courses in 200 schools across the UAE at an early date.

As China will host the second China-Arab States Summit next year, he welcomed leaders of the Arab League to attend, in a bid to push China–Arab relations to a new level.

Wang also expressed hope that the UAE will play an active role in promoting the early conclusion of negotiations on a China–Gulf Cooperation Council free trade agreement.

Sheikh Abdullah said the UAE attaches great importance to its relationship with China and reaffirmed its firm adherence to the one-China principle and its resolute opposition to interference by external forces in China's internal affairs.

The UAE is willing to play a positive role in promoting Arab countries and the GCC to deepen their relations with China, and to help accelerate negotiations on the China–GCC free trade agreement, he said.

Noting the country highly appreciates China's important and constructive role in international and regional affairs, he said UAE is ready to strengthen coordination with China on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, BRICS and the G20 to make greater contributions to promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world.

Both also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East.