BEIJING, 23 January 2006 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah arrived here yesterday morning to a warm welcome by high-ranking Chinese officials. The Chinese said they were honored by the royal visit, the first by a Saudi king to Beijing since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1990.
The morning weather in Beijing was cold and windy but the warmth of Saudi-Chinese relations made the occasion lively and enthusiastic. Chinese officials were optimistic that the landmark visit would take Sino-Saudi relations to new heights.
On arrival at the airport, King Abdullah was greeted by Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and other top officials. The king is scheduled to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao today and informed sources said the summit talks would focus on energy and security.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss major regional and international issues, including Iraq, Iran and Palestine in addition to the global fight against terrorism.
King Abdullah earlier met with members of the Saudi civil society delegation currently visiting China and praised their efforts in strengthening relations between the two countries. He urged the delegation to continue its endeavors to educate the Chinese people on various aspects of Saudi life and culture.
The delegates, headed by Dr. Abubakr Bagader, adviser to the minister of culture and information for foreign relations, briefed the king on their activities in China which included visits to research centers, museums and libraries and meetings with businessmen and academics.
King Abdullah is accompanied by a high-level delegation including Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Chief of Intelligence Prince Muqrin, Labor Minister Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali Al-Naimi, Finance Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf and Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said bilateral trade rose by 39 percent to $14 billion between January and November 2005. He said China had imported 20.1 million tons of oil from Saudi Arabia during that period. Beijing imports about 450,000 barrels of Saudi oil daily which is about 14 percent of its total oil requirements.
Saudi Arabia has already offered investment projects worth $624 billion to foreign investors in the vital sectors of petrochemicals, gas, electric power generation, telecommunications, desalination and railways. It has also softened regulations in an attempt to attract foreign investment.
Chinese firms won bids for construction contracts valued at several billion dollars in the Kingdom last year. The contracts were for projects including cement production, telecommunications, infrastructure and others. Saudi Aramco joined ExxonMobil and China’s top refiner, Sinopec, in signing a $3.5 billion deal to expand a refinery in the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian.
The Saudi firm is also in talks with Sinopec about investing in a plant in the northern city of Qingdao, the semi-official China News Service said. The agency quoted unidentified industry officials as saying China wanted to increase Saudi crude oil imports under fixed-term deals to limit the impact of price volatility.
Saudi ambassador to China, Saleh Al-Hujeilan, underlined the importance of the royal visit, adding that it would become a significant milestone in developing friendly relations between the two countries. As two important nations, China and Saudi Arabia will open new areas of cooperation and continue to strengthen exchanges in diplomacy, economy and trade, the ambassador said. “Closer contacts and cooperation between the two countries will surely exert a great influence on international society,” he added.
During his visit, the king will exchange views with Chinese leaders on further expanding bilateral cooperation in economic and trade areas, said Al-Hujeilan, adding that it would also witness the signing of agreements. “We are looking forward to more and more cooperation between the two nations,” he added.
King Abdullah will arrive in New Delhi tomorrow on the second leg of his Asian tour, which will also take him to Malaysia and Pakistan. Abdullah is the first Saudi king to visit India in 50 years.
In an interview with India’s NDTV channel, King Abdullah urged India and Pakistan to settle their differences peacefully. He also suggested that India be given observer status at the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
In his wide-ranging interview, the king said Saudi Arabia would maintain its strong relations with the United States. “We have had historic ties with the US and they will remain so,” he said.
King Abdullah agreed that the present oil prices were too high and should be brought down to moderate levels. “The (current) price is damaging to developing countries that subsequently have to suffer. The price needs to be at a moderate level,” he said. He also offered to meet India’s future energy requirements.
