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Chinese President Xi arrives in Saudi Arabia

The three-day trip is his first to the Kingdom since 2016

Published: Wed 7 Dec 2022, 5:57 PM

Updated: Wed 7 Dec 2022, 6:36 PM

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  • AFP

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AFP file photo

AFP file photo

President Xi Jinping arrived in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on Wednesday, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Trade ties between the two nations are expected to feature in Xi's visit.

The three-day trip – only Xi's third overseas journey since the coronavirus pandemic began, and his first to Saudi Arabia since 2016 – comes after US President Joe Biden's visit in July.

It will feature bilateral meetings with Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as well as a summit with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council and a wider China-Arab summit.

The official Saudi Press Agency said the kingdom accounted for more than 20 per cent of Chinese investment between 2005 and 2020, "making it the biggest Arab country to receive Chinese investments during that period".

Oil markets are expected to be a top agenda item for talks between China and Saudi Arabia.

Saudi and Chinese officials have provided scant information about the agenda, though Ali Shihabi, a Saudi analyst close to the government, said he expected "a number of agreements to be signed".

Beyond energy, analysts say leaders from the two countries will likely discuss potential deals that could see Chinese firms become more deeply involved in mega-projects.

They include a futuristic $500 billion megacity known as NEOM, a so-called cognitive city that will depend heavily on facial recognition and surveillance technology.

The GCC-China summit will be held in Riyadh on Friday.



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