Our partnership with China

During the last few years, the Kingdom has expanded its international relations and forged strategic relations with the People’s Republic of China at economic and political fronts.

Accordingly, Chinese companies have made their presence strongly felt in the Saudi markets. China imports 60 percent of its oil needs from the Middle East, notably the GCC countries with a particular emphasis on the Kingdom.

The volume of trade exchange reached some $74 billion by the end of 2014 where the Kingdom has become the leading trade partner of China in western Asia and the Middle East region.

Relations with China are not only economic but also extended to include strategic dialogue where the Kingdom shares with China many of political ideas and visions related to international relations, war on terror, development, and political and economic stability.

In view of the cordial ties between the two countries the recent visit of the Chinese president to the Kingdom came to boost the Kingdom’s position and the volume of bilateral relations. The Chinese president’s visit to the Kingdom and other key countries of the region indicated that China attached great importance to peace and stability. They (the Chinese) are against foreign interferences and supporters of social and political stability through responsible partnerships with key countries of the region. At the beginning of the current year, China issued a political document, which laid emphasis on deepening strategic cooperation between the Arab world and China based on joint development.

The number of Chinese companies in the Kingdom is nearly 150 with investments reaching $700 million.

Saudi investments in foreign countries are poised to increase where the Chinese market is expected to be one of major markets. The prospects for cooperation between the two countries are promising and perhaps the signing of the MoUs in various fields is one of pillars to consolidate bilateral relations, which are steadily developing. — Al-Yaum

Time-tested friendship

The visit recently made by the President of People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, to the Kingdom has heralded a new era of relations between the two countries: They developed from strategic friendship to strategic partnership.

Based on the above, we can understand results of the visit and the nature of deals signed between the two countries as well as comprehensiveness of the final communiqué, which dealt with six vital areas.

The final communiqué, in particular, demonstrates the desire of the two sides to get out of the mantle of energy, despite the fact the visit witnessed the launching of joint-Yasref refinery project, to expand relations into other areas.

Riyadh believes that it can find in Beijing a key oil importer and a source of technology and science. It is to be recalled that China is among few countries that welcomes transfer of technology within the context of its partnership in different sectors, a matter that encourages other countries to cooperate with it contrary to other countries, which want to keep relations with others on a buyer-seller basis.

China’s desire to raise the level of relations with the Kingdom stems from its feeling on its confidence on the capabilities of the Kingdom, especially the two countries launched relations in 1990 with a strategic missile deal, which could not have been signed between the two countries unless they had shared far-sighted vision and strategic importance for each other.

Therefore, it is important to work on what has been achieved during the visit of the Chinese president considering it a turning point in Saudi-China relations.

Likewise, no part of the deals should be neglected or given priority over others but should be taken as a whole as it came in the final communiqué so that we push the wheels of relations to grow steadily as we always know between Riyadh and Beijing.

— By Aiman Al-Hamadi, Al-Riyadh

Activation of regional councils

The activation of the role of the regional councils prepares the ground for completion of the elements of the local rule, which acts on behalf of the king that will generate new sources of funds and create competition between regions.

Additionally, the activation of regional councils will relieve burden on the central ministries to fully devote their times in planning and drawing up policies while leaving the mission of implementing services to local governors who will seek development of their areas and disburse funds to achieve high quality in performance to get satisfaction of citizens.

This drive will also eliminate the issue of center and peripherals, ensure rights of citizens through unification of decisions and, therefore, pinpoint accountability. If the local ruler, or regional governor, is responsible for his region and development of its citizens and services, it will narrow gaps between the ministries and regional governorates and minimize shortcomings arising from dual responsibility.

The assuming of broad powers to regional governors that coincided with the mega development plans, which will be reflected in the stability and diversification of income sources by exploiting advantageous privileges of each region on which the sustainable development will be based.

— By Fatma Otaibi, Al-Jazira

Protecting public funds

The National Transformation Program (NTP) is a strategic plan for the coming years with firm regulatory tools to assess the application of the program in accordance with specific time schedules.

Among key features of the program is the assessment of performance of government agencies through a number of measurement indicators in certain areas, among others, education, health, housing, social justice, municipal services, transport, training, rehabilitation and infrastructure.

The program has a number of strategic objectives including the launching of a package of economic and development reforms, removal of bureaucratic, administrative and financial obstacles and optimal use of financial and human resources. We believe that internal auditing departments in government agencies are the administrative units that can help achieve such objectives for being equipped with expertise and the required tools in this context.

The internal auditing department is considered one of defense lines to protect public funds and resources, ensure optimal use of these resources and upgrade production efficiency of the government agency that will benefit the whole community sectors. One of the important tools to implement the national transformation program is supporting internal auditing departments in government agencies through a number of proposals, among them are:

Introduction of a preparatory program in the internal auditing at the Institute of Public Administration (IPA).

Granting a work nature allowance to staff working in internal auditing departments for the scarcity of specialists in this area.

Implementation of specialized training courses on the internal auditing by the Saudi Society of Internal Auditors (SSIA) targeting government agencies.

Encouragement of government agencies to consult firms specialized in accounting and internal auditing so as to activate their respective internal auditing departments. Asking the Saudi universities to make internal auditing part of the academic program of the accounting sections.

— By Saad bin Mohammed Al-Huwaimil, Al-Hayat

Iran is the troublemaker

Iran is the greatest evil in the region and the world because it does not want to live in peace with its neighbors and the world.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs did the best thing during the last few days when it documented terrorist acts carried out by Iran in the last 34 years and put them at the international arenas to show them the volume of evil acts it (Iran) spread in many parts including Kuwait, Paris, Moscow, Washington, Azerbaijan and Bangkok.

The Khomeini constitution, which was drafted following the 1979 revolution and fall of the Shah, planted openly the logic of revolution at the expense of state and the logic of sectarianism instead of unity and rejection of intolerance.

Iran never hid its revolutionary intentions outside its borders but, rather, it announced its internal and external revolutionary plans and sectarianism in its constitution and not based on the interpretations and analyses of others.

Therefore, Iran should be dealt with on the basis of its constitution, which ignores any desire to be a state willing to share peace, stability and (mutual) interests with its neighbors and the international community.

This revolutionary and sectarian logic of Iran explains the “discoloration” of its relations over decades with different countries including Saud Arabia. When some of the reformists expressed, from time to time, desire to make good relations with neighbors, militants of Khomeini heirs turn on the tables against the reformists sticking to the goals of the revolution, which are explicitly stipulated in the constitution. To get out of the mantle of the greatest evil, Iran needs to work out a new constitution and remove texts related to evil and terrorism and, instead, gets involved in its own affairs and puts an end to interference in the internal affairs of others.

— By Mohammed Al-Osaimi, Okaz

Lost in translation

I am definitely sure that proposals have been pouring into the office of our Minister of Culture and Information Adel Al-Toraifi since he assumed his post as the minister.

If he collected these proposals, he would build a great dam of words and letters that can block the sun. The majority of our writers and authors, wrote, and are still writing, about the poor results of our writers outside the Kingdom and, therefore, they do not make a ballistic shield protecting our homeland.

In this context, my proposal is the establishment of a small section for translation within the Ministry of Culture and Information to undertake the selection of five Saudi creative and informative articles and their translation, same day, and dissemination in live languages.

This will allow those living in other parts of the world listen to our real voice and know our intellectual and cultural activities. To overcome the difficulty of selection of the articles and translation of the best, I suggest the following proposals: The article is not to be translated according to the author’s (social) value or position. Focus is not only to be made on articles conforming with government view, a matter that will allow creative views to appear and inform others on the degree of freedom we are enjoying.

Search is not to be concentrated on the most read articles, as feedbacks of readers do not always indicate the reality.

After translation, the selected articles could be promoted through some of Saudi newspapers, TV and Radio stations in foreign languages. Saudi Press Agency (SPA) may take the lead in localizing and publicizing the idea.

The selection of the translators should be based on professionalism and quality standards. Therefore, five daily articles will give a good picture of our country and its culture for those speaking Chinese, English, Spanish, Hindi, French, and Persian where they can read the articles transparently in their own languages.

— By Shahir Al-Nahari, Makkah Newspaper