Riyadh, 8 December 2022 (TDI): President Xi Jinping arrived in Saudi Arabia to attend the first summit between China and Arab states as well as the China-GCC summit in Riyadh.
He was invited by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). From December 7 to December 10, he will stay in the Arab country.
This information was shared on Wednesday by Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of China.
In this regard, China’s Foreign Ministry released a report on China-Arab cooperation in the new era prior to the summit, the first of its kind between China and Arab governments.
It calls the summit a historic occasion and mentions that Beijing will use it as an opportunity to create a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era.
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Furthermore, as China tries to restore its economy and Saudia Arabia seeks to broaden its global alliances, this meeting will be focused on energy ties. During the bilateral meeting, initial agreements worth $29.26 billion will be signed.
An important turning point in the development of China-Arab relations will be the first China-Arab States Summit.
Megaprojects
Moreover, leaders from the two nations are expected to talk about potential agreements. As a result, the Chinese companies will get more heavily involved in the megaprojects that the Crown Prince sees as being essential to diversifying Saudi Arabia’s economy away from oil.
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One of these projects is the $500 billion megacity of the future, which will rely largely on facial recognition and surveillance technology.
Statement of Saudi Energy Minister
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman stated on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia will continue to be China’s reliable and trusted energy partner.
The comprehensive strategic alliance between the two partners will advance as a result of President Xi’s state visit to Saudia Arabia.
Xi Jinping was welcomed by Riyadh’s Governor Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and the Governor of the sovereign Public Investment Fund (PIF), Yasir Al-Rumayyan.
However, Xi has only traveled abroad three times since the coronavirus outbreak started, and this is his first trip to Saudi Arabia since 2016.
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