Chinese President may visit Saudi Arabia, says Kingdom's foreign minister
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Riyadh: Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to visit Saud Arabia, said the Kingdom's foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. He asserted the "historical and solid relationship" between the major oil exporter and Beijing after talking to Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.
In a video statement aired on Saudi television, he said today's meeting comes at an important time as it precedes the expected visit of the Chinese president to the kingdom. He added that the country is finalising arrangements for summit talks between China and Arab countries.
Wang also said Saudi Arabia has a "priority position in China's overall diplomacy". Xi's last visit to the Kingdom was in January 2016. And Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited China in early 2019.
Xi Jinping secured a third term in office a few days ago. He hasn't left the country since the early days of the pandemic. The Chinese embassy in Saudi Arabia did not reveal when Xi will be visiting the Kingdom. China's ministry of foreign affairs said it has "no information to offer" on the matter, reported AFP.
Saudi Arabia's connections with its long-standing ally the US are currently strained due to the OPEC+ cartel slashing oil production. The Chinese President's visit will further upset Washington. US President Joe Biden visited the Kingdom in July to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.