A delegation of the Chinese Ministry of Railways inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Tuesday, with the aim of pushing forward cooperation in railway construction between the two countries.

The document was signed by Chinese Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE's Minister of Public Works.

At a meeting with Sheikh Hamdan, Liu elaborated on the development of China's railways in recent years.

China's high-speed railway has a leading position in the world in terms of technology, operation length and management level, he said, adding that a number of countries have expressed their willingness to carry out cooperation and exchanges with China in this field.

Liu voiced hope that his visit would deepen mutual understanding and mutual trust between the railway departments of China and the UAE, so as to boost the two sides' relations of comprehensive cooperation in various areas.

For his part, Sheikh Hamdan said he hoped that China would participate in the UAE's railway project, adding that the Gulf nation was ready to learn from China's experience and achievements in railway construction through cooperation.

Under the MoU, the two sides will launch extensive cooperation in such areas as railway development, engineering construction, technical exchanges and personnel training.

Liu arrived in Abu Dhabi early Tuesday on a two-day visit to the UAE.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2010)