DM Monitoring
RIYADH: The China-Saudi Arabia friendship is deep-rooted in the hearts of the two peoples and the two countries share broad consensus on the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, Chinese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chen Weiqing has said.
In a recent interview with Xinhua prior to the 30th anniversary of China-Saudi Arabia diplomatic ties, Chen commended the sustained and healthy development of bilateral ties, saying that the pursuit of a better and happy life are the common aspiration of the two peoples.
On July 21, 1990, the two countries established diplomatic relations, and continuous progress has been made in the development of bilateral ties ever since, Chen said, adding that with frequent exchanges of high-level visits, the two sides have been enhancing their mutual understanding, cooperation and friendship.
The establishment of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership and the founding of the China-Saudi Arabia High-level Joint Committee in 2016 during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the kingdom marked a milestone for the development of bilateral relations, Chen said.
China is Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner and Saudi Arabia is China’s largest trading partner in West Asia. The two countries are close partners in the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Chen said the two countries are highly complementary in economy and industry. “The Belt and Road Initiative and Saudi Vision 2030 are highly compatible and enjoy huge potential for cooperation in the fields such as artificial intelligence, digital economy and high technology,” Chen added.
With continuous and rapid development of bilateral relations in recent years, more and more Chinese companies started doing business in Saudi Arabia, making positive contributions to localizing Saudi Arabia’s industrial sector, promoting employment and facilitating development in various fields, the ambassador said.
In recent years, China and Saudi Arabia have also carried out fruitful cooperation in cultural and people-to-people exchanges such as language and culture, art and civilizations and heritage protection, Chen said.
