China, UAE affirm continued military cooperation

China is willing to work with the United Arab Emirates to promote deepening of their military cooperation, China's defense minister said on Tuesday.

State Councillor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu met with visiting Commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defense Ibrahim Nasser Mohamed Al-Alawi in Beijing, a statement released by China's Defense Ministry said.

Li said under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-UAE relations have experienced rapid, stable and healthy development and practical cooperation between the two countries has brought benefits to their people.

China is willing to work with the UAE to implement their strategic consensus and build China-UAE relations into a model of state-to-state relations, Li said.

The development of military relations has entered the fast lane and exchanges and cooperation in various fields have achieved gratifying results, Li said, noting in recent years the air forces of both countries have carried out fruitful cooperation, enriching the content of military-to-military relations.

China and the UAE will hold their first joint air force training in August.

According to their annual plan, the training exercise will be held in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, a brief statement by the ministry declared on July 31.

Ibrahim said the UAE and China possess solid political mutual trust and brotherly friendship, adding the UAE is willing to continue deepening strategic mutual trust with China, strengthen cooperation in various fields and consolidate and promote the further development of air force relations between the two countries.