Trade and security on agenda for Xi visit to Saudi Arabia – Saudi minister – The Peninsula

Trade and security on agenda for Xi visit to Saudi Arabia – Saudi minister – The Peninsula

Sharm El Sheikh: Strengthening trade ties and regional security will be priorities in an upcoming visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to Saudi Arabia, Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs Adel Al-Jubeir said on Saturday.

The visit, which two sources said was expected to take place in December, comes at a time when relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States have been strained by a spat over oil supplies, and amid US concerns over growing cooperation between Gulf Arab states and China.

Jubeir did not give details of the trip but said visits between Chinese and Saudi leaders were "natural".

"China is Saudi Arabia's largest trading partner, we have huge investments in China and the Chinese have huge investments in Saudi Arabia," he told Reuters on the sidelines of the COP27 climate summit in Egypt.

"We have huge equities at stake and these visits are not uncommon," Jubeir said. "The same with our other trading partners and strategic partners whether it is the United States, the UK, France, Germany, this is what countries do."

Two sources familiar with discussions ahead of Xi's trip said the Chinese leader was expected to visit in the second half of December and to attend a China-Gulf summit