It has been 35 years since the United Arab Emirates and the People's Republic of China established diplomatic relations. In the intervening years, the relationship has developed into a strategic partnership based on shared trust, a set of mutual interests, common values and, above all, a belief peace, stability and prosperity are interdependent.

Both China and the UAE consider economic development a vital strategic interest that underpins regional security. This shared worldview is exemplified by the Belt and Road Initiative — President Xi Jinping's vision he laid out in 2013 to restore the Silk Road, promote economic growth and boost the land, sea and air links between participating countries. In this context, the UAE, at the geographical pivot point between East and West, serves as a transfer center for Chinese products to the Middle East and African markets.

Since 1984, trade between the UAE and China has grown an impressive 800-fold, across a wide range of sectors that includes energy, logistics, infrastructure, manufacturing, finance, education and tourism. Last year alone, bilateral trade jumped 15 percent to top US $52 billion, making China the UAE's second-largest trading partner. The UAE is China's second-largest partner in the Gulf region, with some 2,000 Chinese firms operating in the country and 180,000 Chinese citizens living and working there.