Date palms, a major food crop and an important agricultural export product in Arab countries, have witnessed the fruitful bilateral agricultural cooperation between China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Following a 2019 agreement, the UAE donated 100,000 date palm seedlings to China, with the first batch of 1,500 seedlings planted in Wenchang, a city in the tropical Hainan Province in south China, in December 2021.
Between 2021 to 2025, the UAE provided nearly 30,000 more seedlings to China in several batches.
Over the years, China and the UAE have carried out collaborative research on dates, relying on the expertise of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences.
Advanced seedling propagation technology, cultivation techniques, and pest and disease control methods have led to a thriving China-UAE Friendship Forest of Date Palm in Wenchang today.
"This project was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE. A gift to China of 100,000 palm date palm trees, seedlings. To see that this tree that has always been part of the UAE's culture, even before the union it symbolizes our culture, it symbolizes, or it focuses on food security, and it also symbolizes resilient agricultural practices," said Amna Al Dahak, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN).
"The project, I think, is a promising project that is going to yield more results as it progresses toward its completion. Seeing the date palm trees cultivated, grown on Chinese land, this is going to form new projects and new collaborations, and it will again signify the very unique UAE-China relations culturally and across food security and resilient agriculture," she continued.
Thriving date palm trees symbolize China-UAE cooperation
Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Friday night that the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States to end the war could take place within the next few days.
In an interview with state-run IRIB TV, Araghchi said that upon finalized, the MoU will be signed digitally by both sides in their respective countries and then announced. He added that following the potential signing, both parties will commit not to initiate any other war, and will begin the second stage of negotiations, scheduled within a 60-day period, to reach a final agreement, focusing mainly on Iran's nuclear program and sanctions removal.
He stressed that Tehran insists that the only acceptable way of dealing with its highly enriched uranium will be diluting it within Iranian territory.
Araghchi also said that the potential MoU would include provisions for ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, requiring Israel to withdraw from the occupied areas.
Other key issues in the MoU include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the full lifting of the U.S. anti-Iran naval blockade, and the release of Iran's frozen assets, he noted.
On the Strait of Hormuz, Araghchi said its management will definitely not to return the pre-war era. While Iran will retain sovereignty and a military presence, a legal system consistent with international law will be established, he said.
He ruled out tolls for passage but noted that charging service fees will be reasonable.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States had "just made a great settlement of the war with Iran," with an agreement expected "over the next few days."
Over recent weeks, Iran and the United States have exchanged several peace proposals through Pakistan's mediation, and have been working to finalize an MoU to end the war.
Iran's FM says signing of MoU with US possible within few days
