Riyadh-Beijing ties date back 26 years

JEDDAH: Diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and China began in 1990 after the two countries agreed to establish full diplomatic ties, exchange ambassadors, and hold meetings on political, economic, youth and other affairs.
Relations since have grown stronger and deeper, reflecting positively on both countries.
Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Salman visited China twice, in 1990, when he was still governor of Riyadh, and again in 2014 when he was the crown prince, and was received with a vast celebration in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
In his speech during his visit in 2014, King Salman said the aim of his visit was to ensure close cooperation and to deepen dialogue and communication while strengthening bilateral relations in the field of economy, commerce, industry, culture, investment, energy and security.
Enhanced strategic relationship between the two countries will “contribute in a big way to addressing problems brought on by regional and international turmoil,” he said.
During the visit, officials of the two countries sighed several memoranda of understanding for investment and cooperation in science and space technology, as well as for a program of technical cooperation in the commercial field, and one for the Saudi Development Fund’s contribution to financing the construction of university buildings in the Sanchi region.
In January 2016, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia and held talks with King Salman at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, during which the king highlighted the fact that the close relations between the two countries have steadily grown over the past 24 years.
Saudi-Chinese relations have focused on regional and international issues. The two sides agreed to promote peace and stability in the Middle East, as per the Arab Peace Initiative and UN resolutions pertaining to the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
The two sides also stressed the need to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and expressed similar concern about the situation in Syria and the need to find an urgent peaceful solution to the crisis in this Arab country.
The two sides also have a common stance in favor of Yemen’s unity and independence, and stressed support for the legitimate government in Yemen, as well as for UN Security Council resolutions and the GCC initiative.
Saudi Arabia and China share similar positions on other regional and international issues, believing in the need to intensify coordination and cooperation among the G20 nations and with other international organizations and forums.
In the economic sphere, the Saudi-Chinese Joint Committee held five sessions, and the Saudi-Chinese Business Council works hard to boost commerce, investment and cooperation between businessmen from the two countries.
The business sector plays a central role in implementing the goals of all these meetings and committee decisions, which include promoting agreements in different fields.
The volume of joint trade and investment is around $71.3 billion, with most exports from Saudi Arabia to China involving petroleum products.