Amal Al Qubaisi discusses co-operation with Chinese officials

Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of the Federal National Council, FNC, today received, at the headquarters of the FNC in Abu Dhabi, Zang Xianfu, Chairman of the Tianjin Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and his delegation.

The meeting was attended by Ahmed Shabib Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of the FNC, as well as a number of FNC members.

During the meeting, there was a presentation on the current overall co-operation between the UAE and the People’s Republic of China, especially in the areas of commerce, business, investments and energy, in light of the desires of the leadership of both countries to strengthen and develop their joint co-operation, to realise their aspirations and interests and those of their people.

Dr. Al Qubaisi praised the developing relations between the two countries while highlighting the successful and consecutive visits of their senior officials, especially the important visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to China in December 2015. She added that this visit and its positive overall outcomes reflect the strength of UAE-Chinese relations and the diversity of their political, economic and strategic roles.

She also valued the growing economic relations between the two countries, as the commercial exchange between the UAE and China has doubled 800 times during the past three decades, increasing from US$63 million in 1984, after their official relations were established, to over $50 billion annually.

She pointed out that the total number of the Chinese community in the UAE has reached 200,000 by the end of 2016, with over 4,000 Chinese companies working in various sectors, most notably in oil, energy, tourism and business.

During the meeting, Dr. Al Qubaisi highlighted the issue of the three Emirati islands of Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa occupied by Iran while adding that the UAE has continually called for a peaceful solution to this issue, through direct negotiations or the International Court of Justice.

Al Qubaisi stressed that Iran’s aggressive and expansionist regional policy and its ongoing efforts to arm and support terrorist groups, whether in Yemen or Syria, undermine regional security and promote the spread of extremism and terrorism. She also highlighted the necessity of a stern international response against Iran’s actions and ending its interference in the affairs of the region’s countries.

Speaker of FNC said that the UAE participated in the operations of the Arab Coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, to establish the legitimacy of the Yemeni government, as well as spread security and stability in Yemen.

He explained that the Arab Coalition Forces wanted to achieve security and stability in the region and protect the Yemeni people, while preventing the interference of Iran in the internal affairs of the Gulf countries and the brotherly Republic of Yemen. Iran supports and funds the Houthi militias and the group of deposed president Ali Saleh, he added.

Referring to the Qatari crisis, Dr. Al Qubaisi stressed that the UAE was committed to achieving a diplomatic solution to the crisis, as it believed in the importance of peaceful resolution to crises, and the necessity for a drastic change in Qatar’s behaviour, especially in those related to the funding of terrorism and non-interference in the affairs of other countries. It is necessary that the Qatari leadership clarifies its policies and fulfils its pledges, he added.

The UAE is committed to maintaining peace and security in the Gulf region, as well as the world, and will stand up to terror and extremist organisations, she remarked.

Both sides emphasised the importance of the parliamentary visits within the framework of strengthening friendship and co-operation in the fields of economics, commerce and investment, in addition to exchanging expertise, deepening understanding and opening new horizons for joint co-operation in areas of mutual interests.

Zang Xianfu stressed that the visits between the officials of both the countries in the past years had a great effect not only in strengthening political understanding between them, but it also developed bilateral relations between the two countries.

He highlighted the necessity of strengthening international co-operation to fight extremism and terrorism, and making unified efforts to combat terrorist organisations and extremist groups that aim to destabilise global security and peace and terrorise people.

Zang Xianfu praised the strong vision of the leadership in the UAE, which made it an oasis of peaceful coexistence, and an exceptional example of economic success at the international level, as well as a strategic partner to China.

The Chinese official expressed his admiration for the standard of living in the UAE, which reflected the efforts made by its wise leadership to achieve the most advanced standards for the welfare of its people. He praised the development made by the UAE in record time and its effective role at the international and regional levels.

The meeting was attended by a group of students, who are on scholarship trips to the United Kingdom, Ireland and Germany, as part of a training session to get acquainted with the nature of the FNC’s work and the parliamentary life.

Dr. Al Qubaisi said that the FNC was striving to benefit from the capacities of its youth and open the channels of communication between them, in its efforts to achieve the goals of the wise leadership. The FNC’s Strategy 2016-2021 has given priority to social participation, especially among the youth.