Senior Chinese Officials Commend Arab Vision For Digital Economy And UAE's Role In Innovation

Senior Chinese officials have praised the Arab vision for the digital economy, highlighting the UAE's role as a regional leader in digital innovation. This recognition came during meetings between the Arab Federation for Digital Economy and officials from Chinese provinces such as Hainan, Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Hong Kong. These discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in areas like fintech, data centres, and smart agriculture.

In Hong Kong, a significant meeting took place with Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of Hong Kong. The discussions centred on joint investment funds and digital infrastructure. Chan acknowledged the UAE's advanced model in promoting innovation and digital transformation regionally. The delegation also engaged with InvestHK to explore launching initiatives in fintech and data centres while introducing Arab companies to Hong Kong’s investment landscape.

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The tour continued in Hainan where the delegation met Feng Fei, Secretary of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Ning Hongwen, Chairman of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. Talks focused on cooperation in data centres and cross-border data transfer mechanisms. Feng Fei praised the Arab vision as an advanced framework for international cooperation and commended the UAE’s supportive role.

Both sides reviewed advantages of the Hainan Free Trade Port, agreeing to strengthen ties in software development, smart agriculture, and digital tourism. They also planned joint international events to showcase expertise. In Shanghai, Zhang Ying, Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal People’s Government, highlighted Shanghai's achievements in digital economy through platforms supporting AI startups and e-commerce.

Zhang noted that the Arab vision is a key platform for regional cooperation and acknowledged UAE’s pioneering efforts in digital transformation. Discussions explored developing Arab digital systems using Chinese expertise to support global trade and sustainable development.

Engagements in Zhejiang Province

The tour concluded in Zhejiang Province with Vice Governor Lu Shan discussing cooperation in digital commerce and innovative financial solutions. Lu praised the Arab vision and described UAE as an influential hub for technology-driven growth. Chinese officials expressed readiness to provide technical support for Arab digital projects to expand cooperation.

The Federation signed several agreements with Chinese institutions during this tour. In Hong Kong, it partnered with BMHL Crypto Limited to develop stable digital currencies. In Hainan, it signed an MoU with Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City Administration to establish a regional centre.

Agreements with Chinese Companies

In Zhejiang, agreements were made with Inspur to build data centres in Arab countries and with H3C to develop smart infrastructure. Discussions were held with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank on digital infrastructure projects and Alibaba Group on supporting a unified digital platform for food security.

The Federation stated that this tour supports strategic projects under the Arab vision for a digital economy including advanced data centres, research hubs, innovation funds, stable currencies, knowledge exchange initiatives consolidating Arab region’s position globally.

With inputs from WAM