ABU DHABI, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to deepen friendship, broaden cooperation, and enhance coordination with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in international and regional affairs, visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Thursday.

During a meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Yang said China and the UAE have witnessed in recent years rapid development in their bilateral ties, with closer high-level contacts, increasingly strengthened mutual political trust, fruitful cooperation in such areas as trade and economy, and broadened cultural exchanges.

China has praised the UAE's support in Xinjiang-related and human rights issues, he added.

For his part, Sheikh Mohammed said the UAE-China relations are currently at an important period of in-depth development and faced with good opportunities.

The UAE attaches great importance to its relations with China and hopes to cement the traditional friendship between the two countries and develop pragmatic cooperation in various fields, he added.

Sheikh Mohammed said the UAE expects that China will continue to play a positive role in international and regional affairs.

Earlier in the day, Yang also met with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Both sides reached broad consensus after exchanging views on bilateral ties and regional issues of common concern.

The Chinese foreign minister arrived in the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi late Wednesday for an official visit to the Gulf nation.