The historic visit by the Chinese President Xi Jinping to the UAE had positive results. The visit also provided a great opportunity to the Gulf and the Emirates to deeply understand China. The two sides held intensified talks not only within enclosed official chat rooms. Two weeks before the visit, dialogue between the officials of the two countries was held through social and traditional media. Chinese researchers were hosted by regional and international TV channels. The leaders of the two countries shared tweets and articles that were the focus of local and international newspapers.
Amid this rich cultural interaction, the Chinese president’s article preceded his visit to the UAE. He tackled several political issues. The article talked about the relations between the two countries and stated that they complement each other. The same article highlighted that the two sides are important partners for communication and coordination in international and regional affairs. It also stated that they have common development and political visions and they share growing cooperation.
The article was entitled “Working Hand in Hand for a Better Future”. It has been chosen very carefully. The title reflected one of the most important pillars of China’s foreign policy with strategic and economic partners like the UAE. The expression ‘Hand in Hand’ means parity in dealing with each other. Parity is mainly based on reciprocal respect and taking into account the interests and objectives of the other party. This is one of the most important features of China’s foreign policy. This feature will enable Beijing to expand and build strong international partnerships in the coming years.
The Chinese president’s focused on the idea of participation and partnership, for the interests of the two countries. He aims at contributing to development and global economic prosperity.
In his article, Jinping seemed to understand the nature of the Emirati people. He described the people of the UAE as courageous, hopeful and creative. The description reflected the essence of the development process that revealed the aspirations of the Emiratis.
Xi Jinping considered his visit to the UAE as exceptional. He said that the UAE is the first station of this overseas trip this year and also the first country he visits since his re-election as China’s President. This statement reflected Jinping prioritizing strategic relations. The Chinese president has been elected to be a president for life, making him, like Mao Zedong and others, a historical leader of China. The Chinese president is keen to plan for the future of China-UAE relations in order to achieve the goals of his agenda.
The Chinese have always tended to respect civilizations and realize the historical ties between the two nations and peoples. The Chinese President was keen to point out the ancient trade relations between ancestors through the ancient Silk Road. Talking about this relationship, he used terms like the Chinese silk and porcelain and the Arabic spices and pearls. Xi linked the past with the present. Following the footsteps of the ancestors, he based himself on the bonds of the past to advance and strengthen present and future relations.
The Chinese president’s article pointed out that: “In the wake of the deadly earthquakes in 2008 which devastated Wenchuan in China’s Sichuan Province, the UAE government donated 50 million U.S. dollars.” This is a very important and significant sign in the positions of leaders and politics. It is a gentle way to say that China is well aware of the UAE’s commitment and keenness to strengthen friendship and cooperation.
The Chinese president went on stating that: “The past 34 years have seen a robust expansion of our economies in a development miracle occurring on both ends of the Eurasian continent. China has emerged as a strong driving force for world economic growth and the UAE has become an oasis of development for the Arab world. The past 34 years have also seen a fruitful effort of our two nations each to explore a development path befitting our respective circumstances. In the process of an accelerated modernization drive, our independence has remained intact. The development philosophies and policy objectives of our countries are similar. Our bonds of cooperation are growing stronger. China and the UAE have become bosom friends who help and complement each other, and important partners who always communicate and coordinate with each other on regional and international affairs.”
The most frequent word in Xi’s article was partnership, either directly or through the connotations of the Chinese political discourse. This in itself reflected a deep Chinese concern for cooperation and friendship that will benefit the interests of the people.
