China, Saudi Arabia pledge closer ties on diplomacy
A meeting between the foreign ministers of China and Saudi Arabia has resulted in the nations agreeing to have closer communication and coordination on regional and international issues, with Beijing commending Riyadh’s role in Middle East diplomacy as reported by The New Arab plus agencies on December 15th.
Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, is on a three-nation tour in the Middle East that commenced in the United Arab Emirates and is expected to end in Jordan. He met with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud in Riyadh.
A joint statement published by China’s official news agency Xinhua stated “(China) appreciates Saudi Arabia’s leading role and efforts to achieve regional and international security and stability,” however, issues that the countries will strengthen coordination on were not specified.
The meeting comes amidst broader efforts from the Saudi state as well as the Gulf states to diversify their international ties. As the Gulf looks to strengthen its regional defense efforts, particularly after a tumultuous year with two attacks by Qatar, a trend has been seen of a shift away from US reliance on military assistance.
The statement also mentioned both countries’ support for a “comprehensive and just settlement” in regards to Palestine, and the formation of an independent state for Palestine, going against US desires to quell the formation of an independent Palestinian state.
Saudi Arabia’s importance in the region was recognised by Wang, who told his Saudi counterpart at a high-level meeting that China has always regarded Saudi Arabia as a “priority for Middle East diplomacy”, as well as an important partner in global diplomacy.
Cooperation in energy and investment was encouraged, as well as in the fields of new energy and green transformation.
The countries have agreed to mutually exempt diplomatic and special passport holders from both sides from visa requirements, according to the joint statement.
The New Arab plus agencies, Maghrebi.org
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