Saudi Crown Prince in official visit to China

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud began an official visit to China on Thursday during which he discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping “establishing strategic relations” between the two countries.

During his meeting with President Jinping, Prince Salman said his visit was within the framework of “establishing strategic relations between the two friendly countries on the principle of goodness and respect and keenness to ensure close cooperation, deepen dialogue and communication,” the state news agency SPA reported.

Prince Salman, who is also deputy premier and minister of defense, said his visit also seeks to develop “bilateral relations in all political, economic, commercial, industrial, cultural, investment, energy and security cooperation.”

He stressed the goal of consolidating “the strategic relationship between the two countries on the principles of goodness that contribute significantly in addressing regional and international problems and conflicts which are resulted due to no commitment of purposes of the United Nations and non-compliance with its decisions, double standards and development gap widening among all countries,” according to SPA.

The Crown Prince spoke of China’s “positive stances” on the Palestinian cause and urged Beijing to play a greater role in finding resolution to the decades old conflict in the Middle East.

“We look forward to China as an international magnate with a great political and economic weight to play a prominent role in achieving peace and security in the region in accordance with the international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab peace initiative in order to end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Arab territories and establish independent state of Palestine,” The Crown Prince added.

He also appealed for China’s role in resolving the Syrian civil war. “We also look forward for more cooperation with the government of the People’s Republic of China to achieve an urgent peaceful solution for the Syrian crisis in accordance with Geneva Statement in 2012 in order to stop bloodshed of the innocents and establishment of transitional rule commission with full executive powers and pressure on the Syrian regime to help the international community to provide humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people,” the Crown Prince said.