February 3, 2006

THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES STARTS HIS ASIAN TOUR WITH A VISIT TO CHINA. THE SINO-SAUDI SUMMIT SEES THE SIGNING OF FIVE BILATERAL ECONOMIC AGREEMENTS. KING ABDULLAH: WE VALUE OUR FRIENDSHIP WITH CHINA AND AFFIRM OUR APPRECIATION FOR THE ROLE IT PLAYS IN OUR REGION. THE CHINESE PRESIDENT TO THE CUSTODIAN OF THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES: YOU ARE A RESPECTED AND FAMILIAR OLD FRIEND OF CHINA. The People's Republic of China's President Hu Jintao received the Mosques Custodian of the Two Mosques Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud. The two leaders held official talks session attended by the two countries' official delegations. The Chinese president delivered a speech on the occasion, welcoming the Custodian of the Two Mosques and the accompanying delegation to Beijing. The president highlighted the importance of the Custodian of the Two Mosques' visit to China in boosting Saudi-Chinese relations. In turn, the Custodian of the Two Mosques delivered a speech in which he looked forward to further Sino-Saudi cooperation and said, "We take pride in our friendship with China and we assert our commitment to the principle of 'one' China." The Custodian of the Two Mosques commended the important role played by China in the region and the world and praised China's comprehensive economic prosperity. The Custodian of the Two Mosques hoped that Saudi-Chinese talks will boost cooperation and will lead to reaching a common view concerning Middle East and world issues. Then, the Saudi and Chinese sides discussed regional and international issues topped by the Palestinian cause and the situation in Iraq and ways of boosting cooperation between the two countries. Afterwards, the Custodian of the Two Mosques and the president attended a signing ceremony of agreements between the two countries on oil, natural gas and mining; taxes; a loan to develop the infrastructure of a Chinese city and cooperation in the vocational training field. Later, the president held a dinner in honor of the Custodian of the Two Mosques. It was attended by the accompanying delegation of the Custodian of the Two Mosques and senior Chinese officials. The Custodian of the Two Mosques Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz arrived in Beijing on an official visit to China in response to an invitation from Chinese President Hu Jintao. He was welcomed at Beijing International Airport by Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Li Zhaoxing; Prince Abdul Aziz Ibn Salman Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Saudi assistant minister of petroleum and mineral resources for petroleum affairs, Prince Mohammed Ibn Saud Ibn Khalid, the Saudi ambassadors accredited to the East Asian countries as well as the Arab ambassadors to China. The Custodian of the Two Mosques left Riyadh last Saturday night for China as part of a four-nation Asian tour, which will also take him to India, Malaysia and Pakistan in response to officials invitations extended to him. On departure from Riyadh's King Khaled International Airport, King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz was seen off by Prince Misha'al Ibn Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the Deputy Premier, Defense and Aviation Minister and Inspector General, other princes and senior officials. The Custodian of the Two Mosques is accompanied by a high-ranking delegation including Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the foreign minister, Prince Meqrin Ibn Abdul Aziz, the president of the general intelligence, Prince Faisal Ibn Abdullah Ibn Mohammed, the assistant president of the general intelligence, Prince Bandar Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, the secretary general of the national security council, as well as other princes and senior officials including minister of labor Dr Ghazi Al-Gosaibi; Minister of petroleum and mineral resources Eng. Ali al-Naimi; Minister of finance Dr Ibrahim al-Assaf, and minister of culture and information Iyad Amin Madani. Custodian of the Two Mosques Abdullah receives Saudi Media and Cultural Delegation In Beijing King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz received the Saudi media and cultural delegation, which is currently visiting China. The Monarch was briefed on the activities of the delegation during its visits to the cultural, economic, information and academic institutions in China. King Abdullah expressed appreciation for the efforts exerted by the delegation, and urged members of the delegation to exert additional efforts for enabling the Chinese people to get acquainted with aspects of life in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi delegation includes a number of businessmen, bankers and academicians who are specialized in the fields of energy, medicine, social sciences, public relations as well as the Saudi-Chinese relations. The audience was attended by Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the foreign minister, Prince Meqrin Ibn Abdul Aziz, the president of the general intelligence, other princes and senior officials including minister of culture and information Iyad Madani and Saudi ambassador to China Saleh al-Hujeilan. The Head of Saudi Civil Delegation currently on a visit to China and Advisor to the Minister of Culture and Information for Foreign Relations Dr. Abu Bakr Ba Qader has pointed out that the visit aims at highlighting vital interests between the two countries, noting that China with its economic and industrial influence has been a coming competing Asian power in the world and the Kingdom with its natural, economic and industrial sources has been an appropriate partner to China. Dr. Ba Qader added that the visit also aims to rectify the fuzzy image which the Chinese have had about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and to positively shed light on historical contacts between the two countries through the journeys of Chinese pilgrims to the Kingdom. Female members of the delegation will clarify the real image of Saudi woman's situations and roles, he said. On the other hand, Saudi Ambassador to China Salih Al-Hijailan emphasized the importance of the visit to be paid by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud to China to enhance bilateral relations particularly in the economic and cultural fields. He affirmed that China attaches great hopes to the visit particularly in increasing the exchange of trade. The delegation also held an acquaintance meeting with a group of the Chinese media and paid a number of visits to cultural, information and commercial bodies and centers. According to Saudi ambassador to China Saleh al-Hujeilan the visit of the Custodian of the Two Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz to China will be "very important",. In a statement, he expressed optimism that the Custodian of the Two Mosques' visit would positively contribute to further enhancing Saudi-Chinese relations. The ambassador lauded the decision of the ministry of culture and information to send a civil delegation to China, and said such delegations would greatly help in correcting wrong perceptions about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Chinese Ambassador in Riyadh Wu Chunhua has highly evaluated the significance of Saudi King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz's visit to China, saying it will surely push the Sino-Saudi cooperation to a new level. It is King Abdullah's first official visit to another country since he succeeded to the throne last year, Wu said in a recent interview with Xinhua, adding King Abdullah also became the first Saudi king to visit China since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1990. Thanks to joint efforts, the two countries' friendly relations developed rapidly and have reached their best time so far, the Chinese ambassador said. In the political field, China and Saudi Arabia have no fundamental conflicts but reciprocal cooperation and the common will to further develop the cooperative relations, Wu said. Holding identical or similar views on many international and regional issues, such as on Iraq, both sides make close consultations and coordination on these issues, and support each other on the issues of human rights and the war on terror, the ambassador added. Economically, the two countries are strongly supplementary, having a broad space for boosting trade. China has become Saudi Arabia's fourth largest importer and the fifth largest exporter, while Saudi Arabia has become China's tenth largest importer and the biggest oil supplier. In addition to oil trade, both countries have also begun mutual investment in the energy sector, and such cooperation has taken ona good momentum. The Chinese ambassador said China is willing to join hands with Saudi Arabia to strengthen friendship and extend cooperation. He believes that the prospects of bilateral ties will be brighter in the future. Meanwhile, a report published by the Abha-based Al-Watan Arabic daily said the civil delegation, has visited a number of cultural centers and academic institutions in the Chinese Capital to meet their counterparts. The delegation led by Dr Abu Bakr Ba Qader, the Advisor of the minister of culture and information for foreign relations, met with a number of pressmen in China. The members of the delegation exchanged views with Chinese pressmen on several topics including the system of education in the KIngdom of Saudi Arabia and the perspective of Change in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Chinese pressmen were taken by surprise when they got acquainted with the social and economic development attained in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Chinese pressmen said they had been impressed by the Kingdom's rational use of its resources and revenues, adding that many wrong ideas and perceptions had been cleared with this exchange of information and briefing. Moreover, the Chinese pressmen were surprised when they came to know that Saudi women have made big strides in the field of scientific research. One of the female Chinese journalists said she had been happy to learn that Saudi women have made big strides in the social, economic, political and scientific spheres. "I have started to change my opinion about Saudi women," she added. On the other hand, Arab News has said Custodian of the Two Mosques Abdullah's three-day visit is expected to strengthen political, economic, commercial and cultural ties between the two Asian economic giants. China had warmly welcomed news of King Abdullah's visit, his first to a foreign country since ascended the throne in Riyadh on August 1 and first by a Saudi King since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1990. The talks between Custodian of the Two Mosques Abdullah and Chinese President Hu Jintao focused on energy and security issues. Saudi Arabia is China's main oil supplier as Beijing imports 14 percent of its total oil requirements from the Kingdom. "The Chinese government places great importance on this visit," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said, adding that Custodian of the Two Mosques Abdullah and President Hu Jintao would review the development of bilateral relations over the past 15 years and explore ways of further expanding cooperation between the two countries in all fields. Kong said the two leaders would also discuss bilateral cooperation in the field of energy resources, but added that it was not yet clear whether the two sides would sign any agreements in the area. The Custodian of the Two Mosques is scheduled to visit only Beijing, where he would meet with other Chinese leaders, Kong said. Trade between China and Saudi Arabia has been growing rapidly in recent years, with trade volume reaching $14.5 billion in the first 11 months of 2005, led primarily by oil exports to the Asian giant. Kong called the figure "an astonishing growth" since it is far higher than the national average of 23 percent. China imported 20.01 million tons of crude oil from Saudi Arabia during January to November last year, Kong said. Cooperation and exchanges between the two countries in such fields as culture, public health, science, technology and telecommunications are also active, he pointed out. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, has offered Chinese businessmen and companies investment opportunities worth $624 billion in vital sectors such as petrochemicals, gas, desalination, power generation and railways, according to the report of Arab News. Meanwhile, Chinese Muslims, who appreciate Saudi Arabia's efforts in the service of Islam and Muslims all over the world, are eagerly awaiting Custodian of the Two Mosques Abdullah's royal visit. Muhammad Mayon, deputy chairman of Chinese Muslim Association, remembers the generous donation given by the Custodian of the Two Mosques to the association when he visited China in 1998 while he was crown prince. A record number of Chinese pilgrims - around 7,000 - performed Hajj this year, according to Guo Chengzhen, deputy director of the department in charge of Muslim affairs with the State Administration for Religious Affairs. The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz met Wi Yang, the chairman of the standing committee of the national council for representatives of the Chinese people. Wi Yang expressed happiness for the visit of Custodian of the Two Mosques Abdullah to his country, and described the visit as a great and important development. He noted that the visit embodies the keenness of Custodian of the Two Mosques Abdullah on cementing bilateral relations. On his part, King Abdullah said 'we view China as a friendly country, and for that reason I have decided to make my first foreign visit to China'. The People's Republic of China welcomed the official visit of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud. The remarks were made by the official spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Weng Chioan who added that the visit will strengthen ties between the two countries. In a statement to Saudi Press Agency, the spokesman said that during the visit, King Abdullah and President Jintao of China will discuss development of relations and boosting cooperation in all fields between the two countries. Other officials also spoke on the importance of the visit in boosting Saudi-Chinese relations. They included Deputy Chairman of Chinese -Saudi Friendship Association, Deputy Chairman of the Islamic-Chinese Association and Saudi Ambassador to China. The Chinese President Hu Jintao gave a red carpet welcome to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz at the Great Hall of the People and said the royal visit would open a new chapter in Sino-Saudi relations. The summit in Beijing saw the signing of five agreements, including a landmark pact for expanding cooperation in oil, natural gas and minerals. Both sides said the accords would usher in a new era of closer economic ties. King Abdullah and President Hu oversaw the signing of the agreements, which covered cooperation in economic, trade and technical areas. Agreements were also signed to "avoid double taxation" as well as for a Saudi loan to improve infrastructure in the city of Aksu in China's oil-rich Xinjiang region. Neither side immediately provided further details of the agreements, although Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal spelt out before the signing ceremonies the main interest of both nations. "China is one of the most important markets for oil and Saudi oil is one of the most important sources of energy for China," said Prince Saud. Prince Saud said the energy deal would set the framework for specific energy investments, but agreements on the projects would have to be signed between the two countries' oil companies. He indicated specific agreements would soon be signed. Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said the agreements would be implemented shortly. "There is a great deal of understanding between the two countries on all issues including Middle East, Iraq and the Iranian nuclear program," he said. Li said Abdullah's visit coincided with the beginning of both the Hijri and Chinese new years. President Hu has accepted an invitation from the Custodian of the Two Mosques to visit Saudi Arabia, he added. At the welcoming ceremony, Hu said the fact that Custodian of the Two Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz had chosen China as the destination of his first official trip outside the Middle East since his accession to the throne had been noted and welcomed in Beijing. "This will write a new chapter of friendly cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia in a new century," Hu said, calling the Custodian of the Two Mosques "a respected and familiar old friend" of China. "You are the first Saudi King to come to China; this visit is also your first overseas one since you became King , and China is the first stop on this (four-nation) trip," Hu told Custodian of the Two Mosques Abdullah before the leaders began their private talks. "These three firsts show fully that your majesty places great importance on developing relations between our two countries," he said. President Hu spoke warmly of King Abdullah's efforts in promoting Saudi-Chinese relations. Custodian of the Two Mosques Abdullah said he looked forward to stronger bilateral ties. "What pleases us greatly is that since our two countries established diplomatic relations in 1990, they have had fruitful cooperation in many fields," the Custodian of the Two Mosques said. "We hope this cooperation will increase even more in the future," he added. Saudi Arabia was proud of its strong relations with Beijing, the King said and affirmed the Kingdom's support for a One-China policy. He hoped that the summit talks would arrive at a common vision on major international issues, including Middle East peace. The Saudi Press Agency said King Abdullah and President Hu later discussed major regional and international issues, most importantly Palestine and Iraq. The two leaders also explored ways of strengthening bilateral ties, the agency added. The agreement on "cooperation in oil, natural gas and minerals" was signed by Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali Al-Naimi and Ma Kai, head of China's State Development and Reform Commission. Energy analysts said the agreement was the first between the two governments on overall cooperation in the field of energy. The two countries have previously signed specific deals in areas such as building oil refineries and drilling. Finance Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf signed three agreements. The agreements relate to double taxation; the Saudi-Chinese joint economic commission; and the loan for infrastructure projects in Aksu. Labor Minister Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi signed an accord on cooperation in vocational training. Analysts said King Abdullah's choice of China as the first country of his Asian tour, which also includes India, Malaysia and Pakistan, was strategically sound. "China has the fastest growing market and Saudi Arabia has the right product to sell," said a Hong Kong-based oil analyst. Shi Yinhong, an international relations professor at People's University in Beijing, said China had "a very focused interest" in Saudi Arabia. "China wants secure sources of oil," Shi said. China's oil demand has been increasing by about 15 percent annually. The Asian giant imported a record 130 million tons of crude last year, up 3.3 percent from 2004, after growth of more than 30 percent a year earlier. Oil imports from Saudi Arabia have already risen from 8.8 million tons in 2001 to more than 20 million tons last year, according to published official figures. Among other energy deals already in place, China's Sinopec is drilling for gas in the Saudi desert and building a refinery with Saudi Aramco in China's Fujian province. Aramco has also begun engineering work with Sinopec on a second refinery in China's Qingdao city. Chinese firms won bids for construction contracts valued at several billion dollars in Saudi Arabia last year; the contracts include cement production, telecommunications, infrastructure and other sectors.