Full text of Chinese President Xi's signed article on UAE media

2018年7月18日，在对阿拉伯联合酋长国进行国事访问前夕，国家主席习近平在阿联酋《联邦报》、《国民报》发表题为《携手前行，共创未来》的署名文章。文章如下：

携手前行，共创未来

中华人民共和国主席 习近平

　　应哈利法总统邀请，我将于7月19日对阿拉伯联合酋长国进行国事访问。这是我今年首次出访的第一站，也是我再次当选中国国家主席后访问的第一个阿拉伯国家。

Chinese President Xi Jinping on July 18 published a signed article titled "Working Hand in Hand for a Better Future" on Al Ittihad and The National, two mainstream newspapers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), ahead of his state visit to the Middle East country.

The following is the full text of the article:

Working Hand in Hand for a Better Future

Xi Jinping

President of the People's Republic of China

I will pay a state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on July 19th at the invitation of President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The UAE will be the first stop of my first overseas trip this year and also the first Arab state I will visit since my re-election as President of the People's Republic of China.

　　中阿两国人民友谊源远流长。早在2000多年前，我们的祖先就通过古代丝绸之路互通有无、相知相交。7世纪，双方又打通了海上贸易往来通道，中国的丝绸、瓷器销往阿拉伯半岛、东非、欧洲，阿拉伯香料和珍珠也登船经印度洋前往中国。

The friendship between the peoples of China and the UAE dates back to ancient times. Our ancestors started trade through the ancient Silk Road well over 2,000 years ago and forged a friendship that remains vibrant to this day. With the opening of trade routes at sea in the 7th century, Chinese silk and porcelain were marketed to the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa and Europe while Arab spices and pearls were brought to Asia through the Indian Ocean.