| Chinese president arrives in Riyadh at start of "trip of friendship, cooperation" |
|
| Wednesday,February 11,2009 Posted: 02:45 BJT(1845 GMT) Xinhua |
Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday at the start of his "trip of friendship and cooperation" with Saudi Arabia and Africa.
"With the joint efforts, I am convinced that the visit will be a complete success and the China-Saudi Arabia strategic friendship will be further developed," Hu said in a written statement on arrival at Riyadh Air Base.
Hu was greeted by Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz ina welcoming ceremony at the airport.
During his two-day visit, Hu will hold talks with King Abdullah, to exchange views on international and regional issues of common concern.
Hu will also meet with Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdul Rahman Al-Attiya to discuss cooperation between China and GCC member countries.
In recent years, the China-Saudi strategic friendship has advanced, yielding fruitful results in politics, economy, trade, and culture, Hu said in the statement.
"China attaches great importance to bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia and is ready to work with the Saudi side to deepen pragmatic cooperation which benefits the two peoples," Hu said.
Hu's last trip to Saudi Arabia was in April 2006, three months after King Abdullah paid a historic visit to Beijing. The king's visit was the first by a Saudi head of state to China since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1990.
After the magnitude-8.0 earthquake hit western China and claimed nearly 90,000 lives in May 2008, King Abdullah became the biggest donor to China, offering a cash donation of 50 million U.S. dollars and materials worth 10 million U.S. dollars.
Saudi Arabia is now China's largest trading partner in West Asia and Africa. In 2008, two-way trade between China and Saudi Arabia amounted to 41.8 billion U.S. dollars.
Saudi Arabia is a member of the GCC , which plays an important role in maintaining peace and stability in the Gulf region and boosting regional economic development, as well as contributing to international energy markets.
The GCC, established in 1981, consists of six Arab countries, namely Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirate.
|
Bilateral Visits