This visit with high geopolitical stakes was criticized by the United States, traditional allies of the Saudi kingdom, which has undertaken in recent years to expand its economic and political partnerships.

Around 20 deals worth more than 110 billion Saudi riyals (27.8 billion euros) are expected to be announced during the day, Saudi state television channel Al-Ekhbariya reported.

On Thursday, the Chinese president was welcomed by the powerful crown prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, 37, at the royal palace in Riyadh, where he must also meet King Salman, 86-year-old monarch and sick.

After shaking hands, the pair listened to their national anthems before walking inside the Yamamah Palace for a chat, according to live television footage.

Xi Jinping arrived Wednesday afternoon in Riyadh, where he will also participate in a summit with the leaders of the six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), rich in hydrocarbons, and another with leaders of Arab countries.

As Beijing is the largest importer of Saudi crude oil, energy should be at the top of the menu of discussions between China, the world's second largest economy, and the largest exporter of black gold.

But Prince Mohammed also sees China as a potential partner in his ambitious reform program, aimed at reducing the kingdom's dependence on oil.

Chinese companies could thus be awarded contracts in the many projects in progress, in particular in NEOM, a futuristic city of 500 billion dollars, using facial recognition and surveillance technologies, of which China has made a name. speciality.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the national anthems on December 8, 2022 in Riyadh © BANDAR AL-JALOUD / Saudi Royal Palace/AFP

Saudi and Chinese companies have already signed 34 investment agreements on Wednesday in the areas of green hydrogen, information technology, cloud computing, transport and construction, the official SPA agency reported, without disclosing. their amount.

Sino-Arab Summit

Trade between the two countries totaled 304 billion Saudi riyals (76.9 billion euros) in 2021, and 103 billion Saudi riyals (26 billion euros) in the third quarter of 2022, SPA added.

The visit "will help to accelerate the pace of economic cooperation" between the two countries, assured the Saudi Minister of Investment, Khaled al-Falih, quoted by SPA.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Chinese President Xi Jinping during a meeting on December 8, 2022 in Riyadh © BANDAR AL-JALOUD / Saudi Royal Palace/AFP

Xi Jinping must also meet with the other Arab heads of state expected in Riyadh for the first Sino-Arab summit.

Among the leaders confirmed to attend are Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Chia al-Soudani, Tunisian President Kais Saied, Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch and Lebanese interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Xi Jinping's visit, considered the "greatest diplomatic activity between China and the Arab world" by Beijing, did not fail to react to the United States, a strategic military partner of the Gulf countries.

The White House warned Wednesday against "the influence that China wants to gain around the world", considering that it is not likely to preserve "international order".

Historical relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia have been strained in recent years, particularly over the issue of human rights violations in the ultra-conservative kingdom.

The refusal of Saudi Arabia to increase oil production to limit the surge in prices, caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine last February, also provoked the ire of the American administration.

© 2022 AFP