Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is visiting Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, met with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed, and agreed to sign a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement and hold summits every two years.
By strengthening ties with Saudi Arabia, China appears to be aiming to keep the United States, which has influence in the region, in check.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is visiting Saudi Arabia, met with King Salman at the Royal Palace in Riyadh on the 8th.
According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the meeting, President Xi said, "I would like to strengthen strategic communication with Saudi Arabia and deepen cooperation in various fields," indicating his intention to strengthen dialogue between the two countries.
On that basis, the two leaders signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement and agreed to hold a summit meeting every two years.
Subsequently, President Xi also held talks with Crown Prince Mohammed, who holds the real power of politics, and agreed to cooperate in the promotion of the "One Belt, One Road" initiative for a huge economic zone and the utilization of hydrogen, which Saudi Arabia aims to increase production as an environmentally friendly energy. I'm assuming
Saudi Arabia, which is in a position to lead the Middle East and Gulf oil-producing countries, is a major crude oil supplier for China and the largest trading partner in the Middle East. In July, President Biden visited and met with King Salman.
China seems to be aiming to check the United States, which has influence in the region, by strengthening its relationship with Saudi Arabia in order to increase its influence in the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia Cooperation with China in the Energy Sector
Saudi Arabia has been increasing its crude oil exports since establishing diplomatic relations with China in 1990. According to Norwegian research firm Rystad Energy, crude oil exports from January to October this year were China accounted for more than 20% of the total.
In addition, the state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco has announced plans to jointly build a refinery and other facilities in Liaoning Province in northeastern China with a Chinese company and start operation from 2024. It seems that there is an aim to strengthen the financial base through
“Saudi Arabia has a strong and strategic relationship with China and will continue to be a reliable partner of China,” Saudi Energy Minister Abdul Aziz said in a statement issued on the sidelines of President Xi Jinping's visit on the 7th. commented, emphasizing its strong cooperation with China in the energy sector.
Chinese media enter the country
A media center was set up at a hotel in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, to coincide with the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
About 50 people from the Chinese media, including reporters from the Chinese state-run Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper, and the People's Daily, gathered at the media center and responded to interviews with local and Saudi media.
The Chinese government has positioned the series of talks by President Xi Jinping in Saudi Arabia this time as "the largest and best diplomatic activity toward the Arab countries since the founding of the country," suggesting that the Chinese government aims to show the results both domestically and internationally through the media.