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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
RIYADH, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said Sunday that China has always regarded Saudi Arabia as a priority in its Middle East diplomacy and an important partner in its global diplomatic strategy, and is willing to work with Saudi Arabia to elevate bilateral ties to a higher level.
Wang Yi made the remarks at the 5th meeting of the Political Subcommittee of the China-Saudi Arabia High-Level Joint Commission in Riyadh, which he co-chaired with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
According to him, the kingdom is an important member of the Arab and Islamic worlds and an independent force in the process of multipolarity.
Wang Yi noted that in recent years, under the strategic leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in all areas have developed soundly and sustainably. Relations between China and Saudi Arabia are increasingly transcending bilateral cooperation, acquiring greater strategic significance and global influence, the diplomat noted.
He stressed that China is ready to work with Saudi Arabia to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries.
Wang Yi called on both sides to firmly adhere to the established direction of bilateral relations, firmly support each other on issues concerning core interests, better coordinate cooperation in various fields, continuously enrich the content of the comprehensive strategic partnership, and elevate bilateral ties to a new level.
Noting that next year will mark the 10th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, Wang Yi stated that China is willing to further strengthen high-level contacts with Saudi Arabia and welcomes Saudi leaders to visit China next year to attend the second China-Arab States Summit. He added that China looks forward to working with the Kingdom to ensure the success of the summit.
Wang Yi also said that China is willing to maintain close coordination with Saudi Arabia in preparation for the 5th meeting of the China-Saudi Arabia High-Level Joint Commission to support and ensure the smooth progress of major bilateral agendas next year.
Stressing that China and Saudi Arabia are important economic and trade partners, Wang Yi said China will continue to expand opening-up during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), creating new opportunities for bilateral cooperation.
He called on both sides to strengthen cooperation in areas such as energy and investment, while expanding cooperation in new areas including renewable energy and the green transition.
China welcomes the increased inflow of Saudi funds and supports Chinese enterprises in investing and doing business in Saudi Arabia. Wang Yi also expressed hope that the Kingdom will continue to create favorable conditions for Chinese businesses.
The two sides should also strengthen exchanges in culture, tourism and other fields, promote people-to-people contacts, deepen mutual understanding and strengthen the fraternal friendship between the two peoples, Wang Yi said.
He stressed that China supports Saudi Arabia in its efforts to play a more significant role in international and regional affairs, host Expo 2030 Riyadh, and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Saudi Arabia on international and regional platforms to realize genuine multilateralism and safeguard international fairness and justice.
In turn, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud stated that relations between the two countries are currently experiencing a period of active development, with the comprehensive strategic partnership constantly deepening and practical cooperation yielding fruitful results. He noted that close interaction between the two heads of state has served as a guideline and allowed them to define a clear plan for the development of bilateral relations.
He said Saudi Arabia firmly adheres to the one-China principle, highly values China's development achievements, and is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges, learn from China's best practices, and deepen cooperation in trade, investment, energy, and the circular economy to achieve mutually beneficial and win-win results.
Saudi Arabia looks forward to the 2nd China-Arab States Summit and the China-GCC Summit to be held in China in 2026, and is ready to make all necessary preparations and actively advance negotiations on the China-GCC Free Trade Agreement, the Saudi minister noted.
Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud added that Saudi Arabia invites more Chinese enterprises to invest and conduct business in the country and is ready to offer them more preferential terms.
The Saudi diplomat noted that his country highly values China's important role in international affairs, supports a number of global initiatives put forward by Xi Jinping, and is ready to strengthen multilateral interaction and coordination with China to protect the common interests of developing countries and jointly advance the process of multipolarity, he added.
The parties also exchanged views on international and regional issues, including events in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Following the meeting, the foreign ministers of the two countries signed an agreement on mutual visa-free travel for holders of diplomatic, service, and special passports. –0–
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