Saudi Crown Prince hails 'new phase' of China relations

51,734 次觀看・1 年前

STORY: Chinese President Xi Jinping met Gulf Arab leaders in Riyadh on Friday in the first of two "milestone" Arab summits showcasing Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as an aspiring leader of the Middle East and key partner for global powers.

Xi, who has been welcomed in Saudi Arabia with pomp and ceremony, signed a strategic partnership pact with the world's top oil exporter a day before Friday's meeting with the energy-rich, six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council.

Bin Salman earlier pledged that Gulf states would remain "a safe and reliable source to supply the world with its energy needs," underlining that oil and gas would continue to be important energy sources for decades.

In a lengthy joint statement, Beijing and Riyadh committed to enhance cooperation and stressed principles of sovereignty and "non-interference," while affirming the importance of a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict.