RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and China’s President Xi Jinping co-signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between the two countries.
The signing ceremony of the agreement, first reached during Xi’s last visit in 2016, was held at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh in the presence of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
#SaudiArabia‘s @KingSalman and #China’s President #XiJinping sign a comprehensive strategic #partnership #agreement between the two countries. 🇸🇦🇨🇳@KSAmofaEN @MFA_China #SaudiChinaTies pic.twitter.com/8zi2xJJcJN
— TRENDS (@mena_trends) December 8, 2022
The two leaders “agreed to hold a heads of state meeting between the two countries in turn every two years”, Chinese state media said.
“I am very pleased to visit Saudi Arabia again after six years. I still remember the scenes from my last visit,” Xi said in remarks carried by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
“The Chinese side views the Saudi side as an important force in a multipolar world and attaches high importance to developing a comprehensive strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia.”
He said Beijing was ready to expand its crude oil trade with Riyadh and would “list Saudi Arabia as a destination country for outbound tourism organized by Chinese citizens”.
Also Read Xi Jinping meets Saudi Arabia’s crown prince on high-stakes visit
Earlier, Xi and Mohammed bin Salman oversaw the signing of energy agreements on hydrogen as well as a plan to “harmonize” Saudi Arabia’s ambitious economic reform agenda, Vision 2030, with China’s trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative.
The signed deals also covered a petrochemicals project, housing development and the teaching of the Chinese language, SPA said, though it did not detail their substance or monetary value.
Digital economy
Saudi Arabia also signed a strategic partnership for cooperation in the fields of digital economy with China.
The agreement was signed by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Eng. Abdullah bin Amer Al-Sawaha and the Chinese Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Wang Zhigang in the presence of a number of officials from both sides.
The partnership develops a framework for cooperation between the two friendly countries, covering the fields of digital economy, communications and information technology, and promoting research and innovation in the field of emerging technologies, in addition to improving aspects of communications infrastructure, and enabling the growth of digital entrepreneurship through emerging business models such as financial technology and e-commerce.
It also covers cooperation in the fields of artificial intelligence, advanced computing and quantum information technology, in addition to robots and smart equipment, and work to develop their technologies and applications for industrial and commercial purposes.
#Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held an official reception ceremony for #China‘s President #XiJinping at Al-Yamama Palace in #Riyadh. 🇸🇦🇨🇳@KSAmofaEN @MFA_China #SaudiChinaTies pic.twitter.com/nRHk4TUw13
— TRENDS (@mena_trends) December 8, 2022
The Saudi and Chinese sides will implement the terms of their partnership by exchanging information and experiences, activating visits between experts and specialists from both sides, and organizing conferences, seminars and working sessions.
On Thursday, Saudi state media announced 34 investment agreements in sectors including green hydrogen, information technology, transport and construction.
State broadcaster Al-Ekhbariya said another 20 agreements worth 110 billion riyals ($29.3 billion) were due to be signed.
Arab outreach
Arab leaders began Thursday to converge on the Saudi capital ahead of summit meetings with Xi, who will hold separate talks with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council before leaving on Friday.
China, the top consumer of Saudi oil, has been strengthening ties with a region that has long relied on the United States for military protection but which has voiced concerns the American presence could be downgraded.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Sudan’s leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had all arrived by Thursday afternoon, according to the Saudi foreign ministry.
#ArabChinaSummit #Kuwait‘s Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah is in #SaudiArabia to take part in Gulf-China Summit and Arab-China Summit. @MOFAKuwait @KSAmofaEN #GulfChinaSummt pic.twitter.com/oqq86Uidsk
— TRENDS (@mena_trends) December 8, 2022
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Tunisian President Kais Saied, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch and Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati have also confirmed their attendance.
Beijing’s foreign ministry this week described Xi’s trip as the “largest-scale diplomatic activity between China and the Arab world” since the People’s Republic of China was founded.
It has not escaped the attention of the White House, which warned of “the influence that China is trying to grow around the world”, calling its objectives “not conducive to preserving the international rules based order”.
Washington has long been a close partner of Riyadh, but the relationship is currently roiled by disagreements on energy policy, US security guarantees and human rights.
Xi is making his third journey overseas since the Covid pandemic prompted China to shut its borders and embark on a series of lockdowns, putting the brakes on its giant economy.
His visit follows US President Joe Biden’s trip in July, when he greeted Prince Mohammed with a fist-bump at the start of a vain attempt to convince the Saudis to raise oil production.
Upon his arrival on Wednesday, Xi had said bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia had grown “by leaps and bounds” in recent years.
This “has not only enriched both countries’ peoples but promoted regional peace, security, prosperity and development,” Xi said, according to CCTV.
The crown prince sees China as a critical partner in his sweeping Vision 2030 agenda, seeking the involvement of Chinese firms in ambitious mega-projects meant to diversify the economy away from fossil fuels.
Saudi investment minister Khalid al-Falih said that Xi’s visit “will contribute to raising the pace of economic and investment cooperation between the two countries”, offering Chinese companies and investors “rewarding returns”, according to SPA.