ABU DHABI, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the first by a Chinese head of state in 29 years, is of political, historic and strategic significance for bilateral relations, said Chinese Ambassador Ni Jian in a recent interview with Xinhua.

Xi will pay a state visit to the UAE at the invitation of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The visit will further consolidate mutual political and strategic trust between the two countries and enhance bilateral cooperation, leading to a future-oriented strategic partnership that involves the region and benefits the world, UAE ambassador Ni said.

Xi's visit will also enhance the building of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for humanity, the ambassador added.

Ni said bilateral relations, which China pays great attention to, are at the best period of development in history. Their strategic ties are indispensable in China's overall diplomacy and stand as a model of pragmatic cooperation based on mutual respect and benefits.

The two countries are deepening trade and economic cooperation, said Ni, adding that they are witnessing progress in the cultural, tourist and educational fields. Furthermore, there are overlapping visions for the Belt and Road Initiative and the UAE development strategies.

He said that the UAE is China's second largest trade partner and the largest export market for Chinese goods among Arab countries, while China has been the largest trade partner of the UAE for many consecutive years.

In 2017, the bilateral trade stood at 41 billion U.S. dollars, a 1.06 percent increase from the previous year. At the end of 2015, China's foreign direct investment in the UAE reached 4.6 billion dollars. In 2016, the UAE invested over 2.1 billion dollars in China, topping the list among Arab countries.

In April 2015, the UAE joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank as a founding member.

The UAE and China signed a series of agreements including a currency swap deal during the visit by Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi Emirate, to Beijing in December 2015.

The UAE was also included in the RMB Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor scheme.

In 2017, Chinese visitors to the UAE surged to over 1 million, and in January this year, the UAE became the 11th country to have mutual visa-exemptions with China for ordinary passport holders, according to Ni.