• China and the UAE want to expand cooperation through investments in the Pacific islands and Africa, said Hong Kong-based consul general Shaikh Saoud Ali al-Mualla
• The UAE is also eyeing increased use of the yuan, with the Middle East nation offering China a low risk gateway into the region, analysts said

The United Arab Emirates, a key node for China’s growing economic relations in the Middle East, is using its Chinese connection to co-invest in Africa and the South Pacific, while considering more transactions in the yuan, an Emirati official said.

The ventures follow a decade of the UAE working together with China on ports, export zones and other infrastructure, said Hong Kong-based consul general Shaikh Saoud Ali al-Mualla.

“Both countries are expanding their cooperation through joint investments in the Pacific islands and on the African continent,” Mualla told the Post.

China has invested in Africa for nearly a quarter of a century, lured by its natural resources and chance to form closer relations with the region seen as relatively overlooked by the United States.

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