JEDDAH: Crown Prince Sultan and Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping held talks here yesterday and signed a joint declaration to strengthen strategic cooperation between the two countries. “We in Saudi Arabia consider China an important and effective partner,” Prince Sultan said at the outset of his meeting with the Chinese leader. “We look forward to a bright future in our relations against the backdrop of our two countries’ historic and cultural heritages and huge economic and cultural potentials,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted the crown prince as telling his Chinese guest.
In his speech, Xi said Beijing had given the utmost importance to its relations with Saudi Arabia. “I have selected Saudi Arabia for my first foreign visit in order to promote our ties,” he said.
