BEIJING, (Pakistan Point News - 27th Sep, 2025) Senior Chinese officials have lauded the Arab vision for the digital economy and underlined the UAE’s role as a regional model in digital innovation and transformation.
This came during a series of meetings held by a delegation from the Arab Federation for Digital Economy with senior officials from Chinese provinces including Hainan, Shanghai, Zhejiang, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Among the most prominent was a meeting with Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of Hong Kong, where discussions focused on joint investment funds, digital infrastructure and cooperation in fintech, data centres and smart agriculture. Chan noted that the UAE has provided an advanced model in supporting innovation and digital transformation at the regional level.
The delegation also met with the Hong Kong Investment Agency (InvestHK) to discuss launching joint initiatives in fintech and data centres and organising events to introduce Arab companies to Hong Kong’s investment environment.
In Hainan, the delegation met Feng Fei, Secretary of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China; Ning Hongwen, Chairman of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade; and other senior officials.
Talks covered cooperation in data centres, digital financial systems and cross-border data transfer mechanisms. Feng Fei described the Arab vision as an advanced framework for international cooperation and praised the UAE’s role in supporting its growth.
Both sides also reviewed the advantages of the Hainan Free Trade Port and agreed to strengthen cooperation in software, smart agriculture and digital tourism, along with organising joint international events to showcase expertise.
In Shanghai, the delegation met Zhang Ying, Deputy Secretary-General of the Municipal People’s Government, who highlighted the city’s digital economy achievements, including a data exchange platform and support for startups in AI, cloud computing and e-commerce.
Zhang said the Arab vision represents a key platform for regional and international cooperation, noting the UAE’s pioneering role in driving digital transformation. The meeting also explored opportunities to develop Arab digital systems with Chinese expertise to support global trade and sustainable development.
The tour concluded in Zhejiang Province with Vice Governor Lu Shan, who discussed cooperation in digital commerce, innovative financial solutions and entrepreneurship support. Lu praised the Arab vision and described the UAE as an influential hub for digital innovation and technology-driven growth.
Chinese officials affirmed readiness to provide technical and advisory support for Arab digital transformation projects to expand cooperation and deliver direct economic benefits for both regions.
The Federation’s tour resulted in several agreements with Chinese institutions and companies. In Hong Kong, it signed a contract with BMHL Crypto Limited to develop stable digital currencies.
In Hainan, it signed an MoU with the Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City Administration and the Sanya Investment Promotion Office to establish a regional centre, organise specialised events, and explore an Arab-Chinese industrial fund and new data centres.
In Zhejiang, agreements were signed with Inspur to build data centres in Arab countries and with H3C to develop smart infrastructure and transfer knowledge.
Discussions were also held with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank on digital infrastructure projects, and with Alibaba Group on supporting the “Arab Food Market” initiative, a unified digital platform to strengthen regional food security.
The Federation said the tour supports implementation of strategic projects under the Arab vision for the digital economy, including advanced data centres, specialised research hubs, innovation funds, stable digital currencies, and initiatives to enhance knowledge exchange and capacity-building, consolidating the Arab region’s position in the global digital economy.
