RIYADH, 22 April 2006 — Chinese President Hu Jintao will arrive in Riyadh today from Washington, on a state visit to the Kingdom at the invitation of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
In addition to high-level talks, a series of general and trade agreements will be signed during the two-day tour, the Chinese Embassy said yesterday.
King Abdullah will host a dinner banquet in honor of the visiting president at his palace today. “This will be President Hu’s first visit to the Kingdom as president and he is scheduled to hold talks with King Abdullah for one hour following the welcome ceremony hosted by the Saudi king in his palace tomorrow,” a spokesman from the embassy told Arab News.
Hu’s visit to Saudi Arabia comes only three months after King Abdullah made a trip to Beijing in January, the first by a Saudi king since diplomatic relations were established in 1990.
During his visit, King Abdullah oversaw the signing of five economic deals, including an energy framework agreement that the two sides will flesh out in Riyadh.
“This will be the second meeting of the top leaders of the two countries this year,” the embassy spokesman said, recalling King Abdullah’s to China visit, his first overseas trip since his ascension to the Saudi throne in August last year.
He added that King Abdullah extended an invitation to President Hu to visit his country and it was readily accepted by the Chinese president.
The last Chinese presidential visit to the Kingdom was in 1999 by Jiang Zemin.
“The Kingdom remains China’s largest oil supplier and the biggest trade partner in the Middle East with bilateral trade reaching $16 billion in 2005, up 56 percent over the previous year,” the official said.
Last year, China imported 22.18 million tons of crude oil from the Kingdom. Saudi exports to China in 2005 were valued at $9.3 billion, an increase from $6 billion in the previous year. Its imports have also increased from $3 billion in 2004 to $4 billion this year.
The Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority has issued licenses to 36 Chinese joint ventures worth $480 million, 73 percent of which is funded by Chinese businessmen.
According to Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed, chairman of the Saudi Council of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Saudi businessmen will hold talks with their Chinese counterparts to identify new areas of cooperation in trade.
The topics that will be taken up for discussions include setting up of a Saudi-Chinese Bank, holding of trade exhibitions in the two countries to promote each other’s products and services, setting up of Saudi and Chinese trade offices in the host countries and establishing free trade between the two countries. “This will be a good opportunity for the two countries to strengthen bilateral trade to cater to the growing demand for Chinese and Saudi products and services,” Al-Rashed said.
President Hu will also hold talks with Crown Prince Sultan, who will host him at a luncheon today. He will discuss regional matters with GCC Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al-Attiya and pay a visit to the SABIC headquarters in Riyadh. He is scheduled to visit the Shoura Council, where he is expected to deliver a speech on bilateral relations.
During the visit, the two governments will sign a series of agreements on cooperation in sports and youth programs, energy and health affairs.
The agreement on health cooperation will include exchange of medical experts between the two countries and introducing traditional Chinese medicine into the Kingdom.
The president will meet the Saudi businessmen in Riyadh at Royal Guest Palace and will receive businessmen and members of the Chinese community in the Kingdom at a reception at the Chinese Embassy premises.
In the Eastern Province on Sunday, Hu is expected to hold talks with Prince Muhammad ibn Fahd and visit the King Fahd Causeway and Saudi Aramco in Dhahran. Prince Muhammad will host the president a dinner at his palace.
President Hu will also visit Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya as part of his tour.
For decades China has played on its solidarity with developing African nations for influence, but in recent years Beijing has looked to the continent as a source of energy and natural resources as well as a growing market for its goods.
