Shortly after the China-U.S. Alaska talks and China-Russia Guilin talks,[1] Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi conducted a tour of the Middle East, March 24-30, 2021, with the aim of strengthening China's role in the region. Wang's first stop was Saudi Arabia, where he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud.
In his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Wang stressed China's firm support for Saudi national sovereignty, national dignity, security, and stability, adding that Beijing "opposes external forces' interference in Saudi Arabia's internal affairs under any pretext." He also thanked him for the Saudis' "firm support for China on the issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan" – an issue that Wang discussed in a March 24 Al-Arabiya TV interview, in which he had said: "At the recently concluded session of the UN Human Rights Council, 21 Arab states [including Saudi Arabia] [2]spoke up for justice in support of China. China highly appreciates that. We would like to work with Arab and Islamic countries in the region to continue upholding the principle of non-interference and jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries."[3]
Wang stressed, in the meeting with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, that China and Saudi Arabia share "a comprehensive strategic partnership." He said: "Supporting China means the support for the purposes and principles of the UN Charter as well as international fairness and justice. Through safeguarding [their] own sovereignty, national dignity, and development rights, China and Saudi Arabia will further boost their strategic trust and pave the way for broader cooperation in all fields."
Also during that meeting, Wang reiterated China's support for the new Saudi initiative for a settlement in Yemen, adding that China is happy to see Saudi Arabia, as a major regional power, "playing an important role in promoting regional peace and stability, and supports Saudi Arabia's initiative on resolving the Yemen crisis."
Below are Chinese Foreign Ministry reports on Minister Wang Yi's meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud:
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, meeting with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, on March 24, 2021. (Source: Globaltimes.cn)
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Meets With Wang Yi
Below is the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' report about the meeting between Chinese FM Wang Yi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, which took place on March 24, 2021:[4]
'China Appreciates Saudi Arabia's Firm Support For China On The Issues Related To Xinjiang, Hong Kong And Taiwan'
"On March 24, 2021 local time, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud met with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Neom.
"Wang Yi first conveyed President Xi Jinping's cordial greetings to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the crown prince. Wang Yi said that Saudi Arabia is an important strategic partner of China in the Middle East, and China makes developing relations with Saudi Arabia a priority for its Middle East policy. China firmly supports Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its national sovereignty, national dignity, security and stability, and opposes external forces' interference in Saudi Arabia's internal affairs under any pretext. China staunchly supports Saudi Arabia's efforts to explore a path of development that fits its national conditions, and is ready to enhance the integration of the two countries' development strategies to help Saudi Arabia achieve Vision 2030. China firmly supports Saudi Arabia in playing a greater role in the region, and is ready to work together with the Saudi side to promote peace, stability, and development in the Middle East.
"Wang Yi said China appreciates Saudi Arabia's firm support for China on the issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Under the current circumstances, China and Saudi Arabia should further strengthen solidarity and coordination to safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on the international law, reject unilateral bullying actions, oppose any interference in the internal affairs of other countries, and defend the common interests of the developing countries.
'The Two Sides Should Jointly Make Good Preparations For The Upcoming China-Arab Summit'
"Wang Yi said, the two sides can give full play to the role of the China-Saudi Arabia High-Level Joint Committee, which should take the lead in deepening bilateral cooperation in traditional areas such as trade, investment and infrastructure, as well as in the emerging fields of high and new technology industry including renewable energy, 5G, artificial intelligence, big data and aerospace technologies. The two countries should also step up cooperation and exchanges in countering terrorism and eliminating extremism. China is willing to work together with Saudi Arabia to speed up the free trade deal negotiations between China and the Gulf countries to reach an agreement at an early date. The two sides should jointly make good preparations for the upcoming China-Arab Summit and build a China-Arab community with a shared future in the new era.
"Mohammed first asked Wang Yi to convey the sincere greetings of King Salman and himself to the President Xi Jinping. Mohammed said China, with a long history, is a world power with significant influence and its revival is inevitable. The rise of China is conducive to global peace, stability and prosperity, as well as a more balanced global development. The friendship between Saudi Arabia and China has a long history and a solid foundation. In recent years, the bilateral relations have achieved qualitative progress and practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results. Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to its comprehensive strategic partnership with China, and is willing to continuously deepen the bilateral cooperation in crude oil trade, petrochemical, nuclear energy and other energy fields, and foster new growth areas in the non-oil economy such as 5G, digital technologies and telecommunication. The two countries will also boost counter terrorism and security cooperation to uplift the bilateral ties to a higher level. Saudi Arabia is willing to make joint efforts with China to push forward the free trade negotiations between China and the Gulf countries in order to clinch a deal as soon as possible, as well as make the China-Arab Summit a success.
"Mohammed said that Saudi Arabia firmly supports China's legitimate position on the issues related to Xinjiang and Hong Kong, opposes interfering in China's internal affairs under any pretext, and rejects the attempt by some forces to sow dissension between China and the Islamic world. Saudi Arabia is ready to join hands with China to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and safeguard regional and global peace and stability.
"On the same day, Wang Yi also met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Nayef Falah Mubarak Al-Hajraf."
Wang Yi Holds Talks With Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud
Below is the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' report about the meeting between Chinese FM Wang Yi and Saudi FM Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud, which took place on March 24, 2021:[5]
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. (Source: China-un.ch)
'China And Saudi Arabia Share A Comprehensive Strategic Partnership'
"On March 24, 2021 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Riyadh.
"Wang Yi said China and Saudi Arabia share a comprehensive strategic partnership. Under the guidance of the two heads of state, the development of the bilateral relations has maintained a sound momentum. In the face of changes unseen in a century and new situation in the Middle East, the strategic importance of the China-Saudi Arabia relations has become more prominent, and the two sides need to conduct timely strategic communication, safeguard the common interests, and contribute to global peace, stability and development.
"Wang Yi said China supports Saudi Arabia in safeguarding its sovereignty, security and stability, choosing a development path that fits its national situation, and playing a bigger role in regional and global affairs, while opposing interference in Saudi Arabia's internal affairs under the pretext of ideology and values. China appreciates Saudi Arabia's understanding and consistent support for China on the issues related to China's core interests, including Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and other issues of China's major concerns. The sanctions imposed by a few Western countries on China over the Xinjiang-related issues based on elaborately fabricated lies are a blatant interference in China's internal affairs which aims to suppress and contain China. Such act is a throwback to the era of 'law of the jungle' in which right and wrong are not distinguished, which should be jointly rejected by all other countries. Supporting China means the support for the purposes and principles of the UN Charter as well as international fairness and justice. Through safeguarding [their] own sovereignty, national dignity and development rights, China and Saudi Arabia will further boost their strategic trust and pave the way for broader cooperation in all fields.
"Wang Yi said China stands ready to deepen the synergy between China's Belt and Road Initiative and Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, and make good use of the mechanism of the China-Saudi Arabia High-Level Joint Committee to promote cooperation in traditional areas such as trade, investment, and major projects, as well as in the emerging fields including 5G, artificial intelligence and big data. China is willing to help Saudi Arabia in its efforts to diversify its economy and achieve sustainable development. Both countries should work together to make good preparations for the upcoming China-Arab Summit and formulate a roadmap and specific plans for building a China-Arab community with a shared future.
'China Is Happy To See Saudi Arabia, As A Major Regional Power, Playing An Important Role In Promoting Regional Peace And Stability'
"Wang Yi stressed that China is happy to see Saudi Arabia, as a major regional power, playing an important role in promoting regional peace and stability, and supports Saudi Arabia's initiative on resolving the Yemen crisis. In light of the new changes in the Middle East, China has proposed a five-point initiative for achieving security and stability in the region, which is an active response to the requests of the countries in the region and based on the respect for their wills. China is ready to work with Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries to carry forward a China-Arab data security cooperation initiative to make the digital economy more secure, standardized, open, and mutually beneficial. Noting that China and the Gulf Cooperation Council have been negotiating on a free trade deal for years, Wang Yi said he hopes that the two sides can reach an agreement at an early date.
"Faisal said that the Saudi Arabia-China relations have a long history and grown stronger as time goes by. Saudi Arabia is proud of its friendly relations with China and will make every effort to push forward the relationship for the benefit of the two peoples. The Saudi side believes that all countries have the right to choose their own development path and should devote themselves to serving their own people instead of following the instructions of others. No country is superior to any other country and no country has the right to tell others what to do. The principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs is a clear principle in international law. Saudi Arabia opposes any form of interference in China's internal affairs and is willing to strengthen cooperation with China to jointly safeguard international order and stability. The Saudi side is willing to increase high-level exchanges, enhance strategic communication, and convene the meeting of the China-Saudi Arabia High-Level Joint Committee as soon as possible to expand bilateral cooperation in all fields. The two countries should work together to make good preparations for the China-Arab Summit to ensure that it will achieve important results. Saudi Arabia welcomes China to play an active role in safeguarding the security in the Middle East, while appreciating China's initiative in the above areas. Saudi Arabia is willing to make joint efforts with China to push forward negotiations on a free trade deal between China and Gulf countries.
"The two sides also exchanged in-depth views on the Iranian nuclear issue, Yemen, and other international and regional issues of common concern."
[1] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 9245, At U.S.-China Meeting, Top Chinese Diplomat Yang States: The U.S. Launches Wars, Whereas China Promotes Peace; The U.S. Should Stop Advancing Its Own Democracy In The Rest Of The World And Focus On Its Own Human Rights Record, March 22, 2021; MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 9249, Chinese Foreign Ministry On U.S.-China Meeting: Our Development Cannot Be Achieved Without CCP Leadership; The U.S. Should Have 'A Correct View Of China's Influence On The World,' March 23, 2021; MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 9252, Following U.S.-China Meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Meets With His Russian Counterpart Lavrov In China; Chinese Foreign Ministry: 'The Two... Said The International Community Believes That The U.S. Should Reflect On The Damage It Has Done To Global Peace, Halt Unilateral Bullying, [And] Stop Meddling In Other Countries' Domestic Affairs,' March 24, 2021.
[2] Fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/zxxx_662805/t1864531.shtml, March 26, 2021.
[3] See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 9266, On Saudi Al-Arabiya TV, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Explains China's 'Five-Point Initiative On Achieving Security And Stability In The Middle East,' March 31, 2021.
[4] Fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/zxxx_662805/t1864164.shtml, March 25, 2021.
[5] China-un.ch/eng/zgyw/t1864162.htm, March 24, 2021.
