CCTV said on Tuesday that China’s President Xi Jinping spoke via phone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud on various topics, including supporting follow-up talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Earlier this month, Xi helped negotiate an incredible deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Middle East adversaries, to re-establish diplomatic ties, demonstrating China’s growing influence in the area, which the US is watching closely.
According to SPA, Saudi Arabia’s prime minister, Prince Mohammed, praised China’s “efforts to build good neighbourliness” between Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi’ite Iran.
It noted that the two presidents highlighted the importance of strategic connections between Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, and economic superpower China, the Gulf nations’ primary trading partner.
State media said that Xi stated the two nations would strongly support each other on key interests and contribute more to peace, stability, and development in the Middle East.
Saudi Aramco announced two multi-billion dollar investments in China this week, the largest since Xi visited the country in December for a summit with Gulf Arab leaders.
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf governments are concerned about the US’s perceived retreat from the area and are diversifying relationships for economic and security reasons.
During meetings in Beijing, Riyadh, and Tehran, they decided to establish relations after years of antagonism that jeopardized Gulf security and fueled the Middle East crises. Their foreign ministers are due to meet during Ramadan.
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