RIYADH: Chinese President Xi Jinping met Gulf Arab leaders in Riyadh in first of two “milestone” Arab summits showcasing Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as an aspiring leader of Middle East and key partner for global powers.

Xi, who has been welcomed in Saudi Arabia with pomp and ceremony signed strategic partnership pact with world’s top oil exporter day before Friday’s meeting with energy-rich, six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council.

He was due to hold wider talks later with leaders of Arab League states spanning Gulf, Levant and Africa.

 United States is warily watching growing influence of economic rival Beijing in region, where China has vested interest as world’s biggest energy consumer and Chinese firms are expanding into technology and other infrastructure.

In lengthy joint statement, Beijing and Riyadh committed to enhancing cooperation and stressed principles of sovereignty and “non-interference”, while affirming importance of peaceful solution to Ukraine conflict.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 10 2022

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