A delegation led by a senior official of China's state overseas Chinese affairs office arrived in Abu Dhabi on Friday for a three-day visit to overseas Chinese in the Gulf nation.

After his arrival, Ma Rupei, deputy head of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of China, visited the Abu Dhabi Branch of the Chinese Union Society, an overseas Chinese organization in the UAE, to extend regards to some 200,000 overseas Chinese in the country.

Overseas Chinese are a major force of China and should be well organized, he said, adding that their organizations should firstly safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.

Ma also called on overseas Chinese organizations to play an active role in boosting ties between their native lands and countries of residence and promoting the Chinese culture.

"This visit is mainly aimed at extending our regards to overseas Chinese in the UAE and learning more about their concerns, " he told Xinhua.

"The UAE has close relations with China, especially in the fields of economy and trade," Ma said.

The official said that thanks to China's opening-up policy and economic development, there are more and more overseas Chinese in the UAE.

"I think that despite its short history, the organization of overseas Chinese communities in the country has seen a healthy and rapid development," Ma said.

He added that his office will give full support to the work of overseas Chinese organizations around the world.

Overseas Chinese in the UAE set up the Chinese Union Society in Dubai, the most populous member of the seven-strong federation, in December last year. The organization, the first-ever overseas Chinese group registering in an Arab nation in the Middle East, aims to unite overseas Chinese and build a harmonious Chinese community in the UAE.