[News] The Chinese president begins a visit to Saudi Arabia, and the White House warns of Beijing's attempts to dominate the world

[SnO]

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived today, Wednesday, in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on an official visit to the Kingdom at the invitation of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, while the White House described the visit as "an example of Beijing's attempts to extend its influence around the world."

The Chinese president was received at King Khalid International Airport, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Prince of Riyadh, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, a number of Saudi officials and the Chinese ambassador in Riyadh.

 

 

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), during the visit, a Saudi-Chinese summit will be held, chaired by the Saudi King and the President of China, with the participation of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

The Chinese president's visit - his first since 2016 - is scheduled to last for 3 days, during which he will participate in two summits, the Gulf-Chinese and the Arab-Chinese, attended by the leaders of the countries of the region.

The official Saudi Press Agency reported that the Chinese delegation is expected to sign agreements with Riyadh this week worth $30 billion, as well as agreements with other Arab countries.

Strengthening relationships
For its part, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the summit to be held in Riyadh between China and the GCC countries will push relations between the two sides to a new level, and Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that the Chinese president will exchange views with the leaders of the Council on issues of common concern.

It is expected that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will give President Xi a warm welcome, in contrast to the lukewarm reception enjoyed by US President Joe Biden, whose criticism of the Saudi crown prince overshadowed a meeting held between them last July.

Commenting on the Chinese president's visit to Saudi Arabia, the White House said today, Wednesday, that Xi's visit to Saudi Arabia is "an example of China's attempts to extend its influence around the world," stressing that it will not change US policy towards the Middle East.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that President Xi's tours certainly come as no surprise, but the United States is focused on its partnership in the region.

 

https://www.aljazeera.net/news/2022/12/7/الصين-13