On July 29, 2024, the China-UAE Economic, Trade & Investment Conference (Bohai Rim), one of the signature events celebrating the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was held at the Choi Centre · Cloud House.

Distinguished attendees included Dr. Jonathan Choi Koon Shum, Member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Chairman of The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong, and Chairman of the Bohai Rim Entrepreneurs Alliance; H.E. Hussein bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to China; Tang Zhengang, Chairman of the Chinese Business Council in the UAE; Chen Dai, Director of the CBD Administrative Committee; Li Bo, Director of the Jiangtai District Office; alongside government officials, enterprise representatives and media practitioners from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Around 300 participants from government bodies, businesses and media outlets across the Bohai Rim region have gathered for the event.

Video addresses were delivered by H.E. Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade; John Lee Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; and H.E. Zhang Yiming, Chinese Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.

The event was jointly hosted by the Bohai Rim Entrepreneurs Alliance, Chinese General Chamber of Commerce UAE, The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong), with UAE Embassy in Beijing as a co-organizer. Supporting institutions included China Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, China Federation of Industrial Economics and Beijing Federation of Industry and Commerce.

In H.E. Ambassador Al Hammadi's remarks, he indicated the depth and width of bilateral cooperation between China and the UAE have continued to expand. UAE investments in those energy and infrastructure sectors have boosted China’s economic growth, while Chinese investments in technology and renewable energy have driven innovation and sustainable development in the UAE. As bilateral ties grew ever closer, abundant opportunities for future cooperation await both sides.

In his pre-recorded address, Ambassador Zhang Yiming emphasized that the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Bohai Rim region served as a vital gateway for China to advance high-standard opening-up. Economic, trade and investment cooperation acted as the ballast and propeller underpinning China-UAE relations, with China standing as the UAE’s largest trading partner for consecutive years.

Dr. Jonathan Choi stated in his keynote that China has signed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation documents with all 22 Arab nations and the League of Arab States. Over 200 large-scale joint projects have been implemented under the BRI framework, yielding fruitful collaborative outcomes. The conference strived to further advance pragmatic cooperation between Chinese and Emirati enterprises in investment, trade, technology and other sectors, building a broader matching platform for businesses from both sides.

Tang Zhengang, Chairman of the Chinese Business Council in the UAE, delivered a speech highlighting the UAE’s strengths as an economic hub and trade nexus in the Middle East, featuring prime geographic location, stable political environment, open economic policies and sound infrastructure.

During the exchange session, Li Bo, Director of Jiangtai Sub-district Office, held in-depth discussions with Dr. Jonathan Choi on bolstering collaboration to drive regional economic growth and international cultural exchange. Dr. Choi spoke highly of Jiangtai’s business environment, commending not only its prime geographic location but also its robust vitality in international exchanges and industrial development.

Choi Centre · Cloud House was operated by the Choi Koon Shum Foundation. This conference formed a key component of the series of events celebrating the 40th anniversary of China-UAE diplomatic ties, marking another milestone for Choi Centre · Cloud House in facilitating international economic and cultural exchanges.

Image courtesy of Happy Jiangtai