ABU DHABI - Premier Li Qiang arrived here Wednesday for an official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the invitation of the UAE's Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Upon his arrival, Li said that bilateral ties between China and the UAE have maintained strong growth momentum since the two countries established diplomatic relations 40 years ago, and their friendship has grown stronger and continues to flourish.

Li noted that the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in May has drawn a new blueprint for China-UAE ties, charting the course and injecting strong momentum for advancing bilateral relations and cooperation.

Li pointed out that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-UAE relations have developed comprehensively, rapidly and in depth with practical cooperation in various fields going deeper and cultural exchanges becoming increasingly active.