Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday called for concerted efforts with Saudi Arabia to achieve more in bilateral economic and trade cooperation. “China and Saudi Arabia enjoy great potential in economic and trade cooperation,” Wen told visiting Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Saudi Foreign Minister. Saudi Arabia is now China's largest trading partner in West Asia and North Africa. China has noted Saudi Arabia's influence in Middle East and Arab world, Wen said, adding China hopes to increase its strategic communication and coordination with Saudi Arabia to safeguard regional and world peace and stability. The Saudi foreign minister said the two nations enjoy many common ideas in international relations. Saudi Arabia applauds China's fair position on Middle East issues and values its traditional friendship with China, he added.Saudi Arabia hopes to develop relations with China, and will work with China to maintain high level visits, expand cooperation in energy and investment, and increase coordination in international and regional affairs, he said. The Saudi foreign minister is in China to attend the two-day fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab Cooperation Forum that starts today (Thursday) in north China's port city of Tianjin. Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Friday highlighted the importance of energy cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia during a meeting with the Kingdom's Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali Ibrahim Al-Naimi. “It conforms to the fundamental interests of the two states to progress all-round cooperation in energy resource exploration, technology service, business and policy exchange so as to realize win-win and common development,” Li told Al-Naimi. Li briefed Al-Naimi on China's energy policy which includes such principles as making energy-saving a priority, to act with respect to the domestic situation, to develop in a diversified way, to be environmentally friendly and to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation. Li hailed the sound political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries and spoke highly of the Saudi Arabia Pavilion at the ongoing 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. Al-Naimi said the Kingdom attached importance to cooperation with China and would expand exchange and implement major projects in the energy sector in a bid to safeguard energy security of both states.
