The speech of his excellency Zaki Nusseibeh, Minister of State. During the UAE - China Week. 5th -9th July 2020

Dear friends, 

We are blessed to be living in a prosperous country in which stability and optimism prevail. However, the difficult circumstances the world is facing due to the spread of COVID-19, have created many challenges to the UAE and the entire world. We can only overcome these difficulties by enhancing cooperation and mutual support. In addition to relying on public and cultural diplomacies to eliminate divisions among peoples and nations, and to enable the international community to work together in addressing the political, economic, and social issues of shared concern.

Thus, we must work on building bridges of trust and understanding with other countries and their people. Moreover, in order to achieve the international cooperation sought after, we have to provide other countries with more information about our advanced culture and deeply rooted values, which is the basis for solid long-term partnerships. 

Therefore, I’m honored to announce the launch of the UAE-China Virtual Culture Week, which will be held online for 5 days featuring talks, musical performances, and cultural masterclasses in both China and the UAE. Cultural exchange is one of the ways we can follow to build the trust and understanding that enable us to successfully tackle the challenges facing the world. Whether through arts, movies, literature, or music, which all strongly reflect our mutual humanity and contribute to spreading the works of our creative artists and the creative sector in the UAE all around the world, as these innovative artworks are important means to conveying our culture and values; they enable bilateral communication among people, touch shared human emotions, and overcome language barriers. 

We are all proud of the solid and strong relationships between the United Arab Emirates and The People’s Republic of China which goes back to the Silk Road era; the trade route that connected China, Central Asia, Arabia, and the Mediterranean.  

Since it was established on 3 December 1971, UAE was keen to build bridges of love and communication as part of its foreign policy. In addition to implementing positive and fruitful plans to build its regional and international relationships. It has maintained solid and fruitful relations with china in every domain, ever since it officially started establishing diplomatic relations with China in November 1984. 

The cultural relationships between China and UAE go back to the formation of the union which was crowned by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan with a historic visit to China in 1990 to build bridges of cooperation with this great global power known for its deeply rooted heritage, authentic culture, and historical treasures. 

These relations were further strengthened through frequent mutual visits by great leaders and officials of the two countries, starting with the official state visit the Chinese President Yang Shangkun paid UAE in December 1989. Followed by the visit the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan paid China in May 1989 with the aim of promoting bilateral cooperation between the two countries, establishing the UAE Arabic Teaching and Arabic Islam Research Center, and providing a donation to construct the Arab Language College building at the Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Moreover, his highness the president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan provided the center with a one million USD grant to support it and to cover all the needs of the Arabic and Islamic studies. 

In March 2008, his highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai, visited China with the aim of activating and promoting the bilateral relations between the two countries, which were built on the basis of cooperation, mutual benefit, and exchanging points of view regarding the regional and international issues of common interest. 

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, visited the People’s Republic of China in 2015 emphasizing the importance of deepening ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. 

In order to encourage and promote cultural exchange between China and UAE, the first school of its kind in the region that teaches the Chinese language officially opened in in Abu Dhabi in 2010 with the aim of establishing a national foundation of specialized manpower to improve cultural communication. Moreover, the University of Dubai has established the nonprofit “Confucius Institute” that teaches students and business owners Chinese language and culture and strengthens the educational and cultural ties with China. Meanwhile, the ministry of education is planning to integrate the Chinese language into its curricula and to establish specialized schools for that particular purpose. 

In 2015, several agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed between the two countries in a range of areas including a memorandum of understanding in the field of higher education that encourages cooperation in sciences, maintaining educational quality among higher education institutions and scientific research centers in both countries, and exchanging annual university scholarships to be discussed in terms of number and domain through the official channels. In addition to signing an exchange agreement of faculty and students between The Masdar Institute and Tsinghua University. On the other hand, a cooperation protocol was signed between Emirates Diplomatic Academy and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the fields of diplomatic training and the exchange of information and documents. Another cooperation protocol was signed in the area of archiving to promote professional cooperation and organize archives.

Both sides also prioritized cultural events that aim to make their communities closer. In 2015, the Chinese Spring Festival, which is a major event in China, attracted many Chinese residents and tourists in Dubai, reflecting the developing ties between both countries and strengthening the cultural relations between their people. 

Under the framework of reinforcing cultural, commercial, and tourism ties between both countries, the National Media Council, NMC, organized a tremendous national pavilion for UAE at the Expo Shanghai in 2010.

The People’s republic of China has also participated in the 10th edition of the “Dubai International Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition” represented by the Chinese calligrapher, Haj Noor Deen who presented innovated calligraphy artworks portraying Arabic script in a Chinese style trying to shed the light on the way almost 6 types of Chinese styles identify with the Arabic script. 

The cultural cooperation between UAE and China has provided the Dubai based China-Arab channel with rich material. The channel has participated in enriching the cultural message through its goal-oriented programs that explore both the national and the Chinese communal and cultural values.

In conjunction with the year of tolerance and celebration of the new Chinese year 2019, several events were launched as part of “Hala China” initiative which was organized in cooperation with the Chinese Consulate-General in Dubai and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China to educate the residents and the visitors about the Chinese civilization. Within one year, the initiative was able to hold several cultural events that educated the people of both countries about the two cultures via theater, food, and many folklore and tourism-related events. 

The Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development and a number of official cultural bodies in UAE participated in the 2019 Asian Civilizations Exhibition which was held under the patronage of the Chinese president Xi Jinping in Bejing. The UAE’s participation which included a collection of rare artifacts reflected the history of this country and its ancient civilization, which was a focal point of human engagement, through ancient land and sea trade routes.

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