I would also like to express best wishes and heartfelt thanks to the friendly leadership and people of the Kingdom for their care and support for the development of China and China-Saudi relations.
Over the past 62 years, especially since China implemented the policy of reform more than 30 years ago, China’s economy has expanded rapidly. China’s GDP hit RMB39.8 trillion yuan ($6.04 trillion) in 2010 and its foreign exchange reserve reached $3.2 trillion in June, 2011, ranking second and first respectively in the world. Thanks to an increasingly open market, China’s total trade volume is now the second highest globally and its overseas investment is gathering momentum. China pursues an independent foreign policy of peaceful development and mutual benefit. Playing an active and responsible role in the international arena, China’s international status and influence have been rising significantly.
Despite the remarkable achievements, we are also fully aware that China remains a developing country, and our development is not yet well balanced, coordinated or sustainable. China’s per capita GDP ranks behind more than 100 countries, and the vast rural areas and the middle and western regions of China are still underdeveloped. China still has a long way to go to realize modernization and to ensure that the fruits of reform and development can be shared by all the Chinese people.
This year also marks the 21st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Saudi Arabia. In the past two decades, the international situation underwent major and profound changes, but China-Saudi strategic friendly relations gained continuous momentum and stepped up to higher levels. The bilateral friendly cooperation in various fields has produced fruitful results, and the two countries have already become good brothers, good friends and good partners.
China and Saudi Arabia have had frequent exchanges of high-level visits, which have served to enhance our mutual political trust. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah visited China in 1998 as the crown prince and in 2006 again during his first overseas visit after his accession as king. President Hu Jintao visited Saudi Arabia twice in 2006 and 2009. Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia in 2008. This year, important visits from China to Saudi Arabia included Zhang Gaoli, member of the political bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee, Cao Jianming, procurator-general of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, Zhang Chunxian, member of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Committee, and Zhai Jun, vice foreign minister of China. Prince Bandar bin Sultan, special envoy of King Abdullah and secretary-general of the National Security Council, and Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Asheikh, chairman of Shoura Council, visited China respectively. These visits fully reflected the great importance the two nations attached to the development of bilateral relations, greatly pushed forward our mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation in various areas and continuously promoted the bilateral relations to a new level.
Economic, trade and energy cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia is fruitful. Saudi Arabia has remained the largest trading partner of China in West Asia and Africa for 10 consecutive years. The bilateral trade volume hit a record high of $43.2 billion in 2010, registering a growth of 32.7 percent. As China’s most important crude oil provider, Saudi Arabia contributed one quarter (44.64 million tons) of China’s total crude oil import in 2010. Bilateral cooperation in infrastructure construction has yielded fruitful results. At present, over 80 projects under construction in Saudi Arabia are implemented by Chinese enterprises, with a total contract value of $12.5 billion, and there are about 16,000 Chinese business people working in Saudi Arabia.
China-Saudi exchanges and cooperation in culture, science, technology, education and religion have increased steadily. Mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples have been greatly enhanced. Saudi Arabia participated in Shanghai World Expo 2010 in an active and comprehensive way, allocating $150 million to build the second largest pavilion, attending all cultural exchange events during the expo and presenting the pavilion to China after the expo. China will be the guest country of honor of 2013 Janadriyah Heritage and Cultural Festival, which, I believe, will further promote Saudi people’s understanding of China’s history and culture.
Since I assumed office in November 2007, I have been privileged to meet King Abdullah nine times and Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense, and Prince Naif, second deputy prime minister and interior minister, on many occasions. I was deeply impressed by King Abdullah during our meetings, as he always talked extensively and profoundly on China-Saudi relations. What impresses me in particular is that during Zhang Gaoli’s visit, King Abdullah cordially met him at home on the weekend. I can truly feel the great attention paid by King Abdullah and the ardent expectation that he has of China-Saudi relations, as well as the close friendship between Saudi and Chinese people. It is undoubtedly that the vigorous development of bilateral strategic friendly relations is closely associated with King Abdullah’s long-term care and instruction. Learning that I would soon finish my tenure and go back to China during our last meeting, King Abdullah expressed his regret and hoped that I could continue to play a part in promoting bilateral friendly cooperation.
As a participant in the negotiations for the establishment of China-Saudi diplomatic relations, I visited Saudi Arabia for the first time over 20 years ago. The past years have witnessed great changes in the Kingdom. Especially in recent years, under the leadership of King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia maintains steady economic growth and social harmony and stability, and its people are living in peace and contentment.
Saudi Arabia has continuously increased its investment in education and scientific research and made big strides toward a knowledge-based society. As the most important energy producer and the origin of Islam, Saudi Arabia plays an important role in the Gulf, the Arab and Islamic world. Saudi Arabia is highly commended by the international community for its commitment to safeguarding peace and stability in the Middle East. As the only Arab country in G20, Saudi Arabia plays a unique part in the international cooperation against financial crisis, climate change and other international challenges. King Abdullah has made remarkable contributions to world peace by promoting dialogues among different civilizations and religions.
At present, both China and Saudi Arabia are at the best stage of development. The outlook of bilateral cooperation in all areas is bright. China is willing to work together with Saudi Arabia with a pioneering and innovative spirit to advance bilateral strategic friendly relations to a deeper, wider and higher level, and write a new chapter in China-Saudi relations.
Yang Honglin
Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
