DUBAI, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum on Thursday sent a greeting message to the Chinese people across the world on the occasion of Chinese Lunar New Year.

"On the occasion of the Lunar New Year, congratulations to the Chinese people throughout the world for the happy Spring Festival," Sheikh Mohammed said on the microblog twitter in Mandarin.

The UAE vice president added "China is an important partner and old friend, full of culture and inspiration. We wish everyone all the best in the new year."

China and the UAE entered into diplomatic relations in 1984, since then ties have constantly intensified with both sides regarding each other as strategic partners. In the first nine months of 2017, bilateral trade between the two Asian countries topped 35 billion dollars.

There are 270,000 Chinese nationals living in the UAE and over 4,000 Chinese firms. In 2017, over 764,000 Chinese tourists visited the UAE, representing a 41 percent increase year on year after the Gulf state implemented a visa-on-arrival scheme for Chinese nationals in late 2016.