On September 13, Qiu Hong, assistant minister of the Ministry of Commerce attended and addressed China-UAE Business Investment Forum and Project Matchmaking Meeting.

Qiu Hong said the pragmatic cooperation between China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the economic and trade field has achieved fruitful results in recent years. In light of arduous and tortuous global economic recovery, if China and the UAE can make joint efforts, we will surely tide over the difficult time, drive economic growth of both countries through mutually beneficial cooperation, and try to make investment become a key field of future economic and trade cooperation between China and the UAE.

Qiu Hong stated it is now a strategic opportunity time of economic structure adjustment for China and the UAE. With a view of reinforcing two-way investment cooperation of both countries, she put forward three pieces of advice: first, investment cooperation in key fields should be deepened. China will continue to encourage and support enterprises to seek investment cooperation opportunities in manufacture, shipping, logistics, metallurgy, new energy and other fields in the UAE, and also welcomes enterprises of the UAE to invest in high-end manufacture, modern service industries and other industries in China, and is ready to provide them with necessary convenience in investing in halal food and Muslim articles in Western China. Second, a good environment should be created for investment cooperation of enterprises of the two countries. Competent investment promoting authorities of both parties should actively establish a cooperation mechanism, promote to establish channels for communication of investment information, introduce investment environment and investment attraction policies, and organize investment promoting activities for the purpose of facilitating exchange on investment cooperation of enterprises of the two countries. Third, pragmatic cooperation of SMEs should be enhanced. Competent authorities of both countries should create more opportunities for pragmatic cooperation among SMEs, making them become a new highlight in China-UAE investment cooperation.

China-UAE Business Investment Forum and Project Matchmaking Meeting was jointly held by the Ministry of Commerce, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the People’s Government of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and the Ministry of Foreign Trade of the UAE, themed on “China-UAE Economic and Trade Cooperation Prospects with New Challenge and Opportunity”. More than 260 representatives from enterprises and governments of China and the UAE directly communicated on energy, industrial manufacture, finance, tourism, logistics, infrastructures, telecommunication, halal food, aviation and other fields.