RIYADH — Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman said that the Arab states are striving to enhance the level of cooperation with China and are looking forward to a new phase in their partnership. In his opening speech at the Arab-Chinese Summit for Cooperation and Development in Riyadh on Friday, the Crown Prince underscored the need to further strengthen partnership between Arab countries and China. Addressing the summit, which brought together Arab leaders and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Crown Prince affirmed that the Arab-Chinese relations are based on mutual respect and cooperation. He also highlighted that the Kingdom is working to enhance cooperation for regional and global stability. The Crown Prince appreciated China's position in supporting a comprehensive and just solution to the Palestinian issue. Echoing the same view, Chinese President Xi, in his speech, said that China supports the establishment of a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. "The historical injustice which the Palestinian people have endured must not go on," he said. Xi hoped that the summit would lead to a brighter future for China and the Arab states. He said that China seeks comprehensive cooperation with Arab states to serve Chinese-Arab mutual interests. The Chinese president also voiced the importance of maintaining the region's stability, adding that China supports Arab efforts to reach political solutions to urgent matters in the region. Xi said that Islamophobia and extremism must be confronted, adding that terrorism must not be associated with a specific religion or race. Prior to the Arab-Chinese summit, the Crown Prince had said during the Chinese-Gulf summit that it lays the foundation for a new historical stage in the Chinese-Gulf cooperation, expressing the Kingdom's aspiration to cooperate with China in various fields and take it to broader horizons. President Xi Jinping arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday on a three-day official visit, during which he attended three summits. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chaired the Saudi – China Summit on Thursday in the presence of Xi and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The GCC – Chinese Summit and the Arab – Chinese Summit, chaired by the Crown Prince, discussed various aspects of strengthening relations between both sides in all fields.
