China-UAE Strategic Partnership Amid Middle East Tensions
Analysis based on 7 articles · First reported Apr 14, 2026 · Last updated Apr 14, 2026
The ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, particularly the blockade of Iran's ports and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has significantly disrupted global oil and gas shipments, leading to a plunge in oil shipments from Gulf states and impacting China's energy imports. Simultaneously, China and the United Arab Emirates are strengthening their strategic partnership through economic cooperation and trade expansion, which could mitigate some of the negative impacts for China and boost the United Arab Emirates' economy.
China's President Xi Jinping criticized the US-Israeli war on Iran, emphasizing the importance of international rule of law for Middle East peace and stability. This comes amid heightened tensions in the region, with Iran having shut the Strait of Hormuz to unfriendly vessels and the United States imposing a blockade on Iran's ports, accusing it of 'economic terrorism'. These actions have severely impacted oil shipments from Gulf states and disrupted China's natural gas and crude oil imports, with Chinese vessels stuck in the Strait of Hormuz. Concurrently, Xi Jinping held talks with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, to strengthen the strategic partnership between China and the United Arab Emirates. Discussions focused on expanding bilateral trade and exploring cooperation in sectors like energy storage, hydrogen, new energy vehicles, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and life sciences. Etihad Airways also announced plans to expand flights between the United Arab Emirates and Chinese cities. China aims to complete talks on a free trade pact with the Gulf Cooperation Council later this year.
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