Chinese president promises security, energy cooperation at Saudi summits

Chinese president promises security, energy cooperation at Saudi summits

RIYADH: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday highlighted close security and energy ties with Gulf nations during summit meetings in the Saudi capital. He attended summits with Saudi, Gulf and other Arab leaders, describing the talks as a historic milestone for relations with the energy-rich Middle East. “China will continue to firmly support the GCC countries in maintaining their own security ... and build a collective security framework for the Gulf,” Xi said at the start of the China-GCC summit. Saudi Arabia and China vowed to prioritize relations as part of their foreign policy and set a model of cooperation and solidarity for developing countries, according to a joint statement released after the Saudi-Chinese summit. The two sides reaffirmed that they will continue to firmly support each other’s core interests, support each other in maintaining sovereignty and territorial integrity, and exert joint efforts to defend the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of states, rules of international law and basic principles of international relations. The Chinese side expressed support for Saudi Arabia in maintaining its security and stability, and affirmed its opposition to any actions that would interfere in the internal affairs of the Kingdom, condemning any attacks targeting