BEIJING, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday held a phone conversation with his counterpart of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, over bilateral relations.

China appreciates the UAE's support for the smooth going of the National Day of China Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, Wang said, adding China will continue to support the UAE in making the Expo one of the most successful to help the UAE enhance its international status and influence, and open up new space for diversified development.

China and the UAE are comprehensive strategic partners and bilateral cooperation in various fields is at the forefront of China's cooperation with countries in the region, Wang noted.

For his part, Sheikh Abdullah thanked China for its valuable and strong support to the UAE for successfully hosting the Expo and fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The UAE attaches great importance to its friendship with China and always puts bilateral relations as a priority in its diplomacy, he said.

Wang said that the anti-pandemic cooperation between China and the UAE serves as an example of international solidarity against COVID-19 and further deepens friendship and mutual trust between the two sides.

Noting that the bilateral trade volume between the two countries increased substantially last year despite headwinds, Wang said China has every confidence in the prospects of bilateral relations, and the China-UAE relations will surely become more resilient and stable.

Sheikh Abdullah said the UAE supports China in hosting the Beijing Winter Olympics and wishes the Beijing Winter Olympics a complete success.