China to build Makkah monorail

Ghazanfar Ali Khan | Arab News  

February 11, 2009

RIYADH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah held wide-ranging talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao, who arrived here yesterday with a mission to strengthen strategic ties between Riyadh and Beijing, especially in the oil and petrochemical sector. The Kingdom and China later signed five bilateral agreements.

During the meeting, King Abdullah highlighted the strong friendly relations between the two countries and peoples. He expressed his desire to further strengthen Saudi-Sino relations. “China was the first country I visited after becoming the king,” Abdullah told the Chinese president.

On his part, Hu commended King Abdullah’s efforts to strengthen relations. “We appreciate the continuous contacts between leaders and officials of the two countries,” he added. The two leaders called for a just and comprehensive Middle East peace settlement that would ensure the Palestinians an independent state.

King Abdullah received Hu at the Riyadh airbase, where a number of high-ranking Saudi officials including Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal also greeted the visiting Chinese president.

The agreements signed yesterday included cooperation in oil, gas and mining; in the field of health; on quality inspection and standards of goods and services; an MOU to set up a chapter of King Abdulaziz Public Library in China and the Makkah railway project.

The agreement on the Makkah monorail project was signed by Prince Miteb, minister of municipal and rural affairs, with China Railway Company. The project will link the holy sites of Makkah, Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah.

It will cost SR6.65 billion and will be implemented in two years. Thirty-five percent of the project’s capacity would be used during the Haj of 1431H and full capacity by the Haj of 1433H.

The agreements were signed in the presence of King Abdullah and Hu.

Diplomatic sources said Hu would meet with Secretary-General of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdul Rahman Al-Attiyah today to discuss cooperation between China and GCC member states.

The talks and the dinner banquet hosted in honor of Hu were attended by several members of the royal family and high-ranking Saudi and Chinese officials, including Prince Abdul Rahman, deputy minister of defense and aviation; Prince Miteb; Prince Saud Al-Faisal; Prince Abdul-Ilah, adviser to the king; and Prince Muqrin, chief of General Intelligence.

On the sidelines of the summit-level meeting, senior Saudi and Chinese officials held talks with a focus on trade and investment relations with special reference to new markets for Chinese goods and workers.

Hu’s entourage includes more than 125 high-ranking Chinese officials and businessmen including Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Minister of Commerce Chen Deming and Minister in charge of the National Development and Reform Commission Zhang Ping. “The visit of President Hu Jintao shows the great importance the Chinese leaders attach to the Sino-Saudi relations,” said Chinese Ambassador Yang Honglin.

In a statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu said that Beijing was interested in strengthening energy ties with Saudi Arabia.

“We value the role it plays and look forward to strengthening cooperation in this field,” Jiang said. “Trade with Saudi Arabia has more than doubled since 2005, rising 65 percent last year alone.”

China’s economic growth has pushed up its demand for oil and raised the importance of the relationship between the two countries.

At the airport reception, King Abdullah was introduced by the Chinese president to 12 schoolchildren, survivors of the May 2008 earthquake in Sichuan province that killed or left missing 87,000 people. The children offered the king their thanks for the Saudi donations in support of the victims.

During his three-day trip, Hu would visit a cement production project constructed by Chinese companies in Riyadh.

More than half of China’s oil exports come from the Gulf, mainly from Saudi Arabia, which exported 36 million tons of oil to China in 2008. Oil and oil products dominate bilateral trade worth about $42 billion.

Chinese president meets Saudi Arabian king on ties

2009-02-11 03:19:29  

    RIYADH, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) --

Chinese President Hu Jintao met Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz here Tuesday on deepening the two countries' friendship and cooperation.

    Hu arrived here earlier in the day at the start of his "journey of friendship and cooperation" to Saudi Arabia and four African countries.

    In a written statement issued upon his arrival, Hu said he would exchange views with the king on China-Saudi Arabia ties and global and regional issues of common concern, including ways of addressing the international financial crisis.

    Since China and Saudi Arabia established diplomatic ties in 1990, bilateral relations have developed steadily, with increasing exchange of visits at different levels and expanding cooperation in various sectors.

    Saudi Arabia is now China's largest trading partner in West Asia and North Africa. In 2008, two-way trade between China and Saudi Arabia amounted to 41.8 billion U.S. dollars.

    During the visit, President Hu will also meet Abdul Rahman Al-Attiya, secretary general of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), to discuss cooperation between China and GCC member countries.

    From Riyadh, Hu will travel on to Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius.

    Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters last week that Hu's visit was aimed at further strengthening China's friendship and cooperation with these countries.

    "It is believed that the visit will promote the in-depth development of China-Saudi Arabia strategic friendly relations and China-Africa new strategic partnership and further consolidate the China-Africa traditional friendship," said Jiang.

Chinese president arrives in Riyadh at start of "trip of friendship, cooperation"

2009-02-10 21:14:03  

·Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday for a state visit. ·Hu is expected to have talks with Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz. ·Hu will meet with Secretary General of GCC Abdul Rahman Al-Attiyah.

    RIYADH, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) --

Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday at the start of his "trip of friendship and cooperation" with Saudi Arabia and Africa.

    "With the joint efforts, I am convinced that the visit will be a complete success and the China-Saudi Arabia strategic friendship will be further developed," Hu said in a written statement on arrival at Riyadh Air Base.

    Hu was greeted by Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz ina welcoming ceremony at the airport.

    During his two-day visit, Hu will hold talks with King Abdullah, to exchange views on international and regional issues of common concern.

    Hu will also meet with Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdul Rahman Al-Attiya to discuss cooperation between China and GCC member countries.

    In recent years, the China-Saudi strategic friendship has advanced, yielding fruitful results in politics, economy, trade, and culture, Hu said in the statement.

    "China attaches great importance to bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia and is ready to work with the Saudi side to deepen pragmatic cooperation which benefits the two peoples," Hu said.

    Hu's last trip to Saudi Arabia was in April 2006, three months after King Abdullah paid a historic visit to Beijing. The king's visit was the first by a Saudi head of state to China since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1990.

    After the magnitude-8.0 earthquake hit western China and claimed nearly 90,000 lives in May 2008, King Abdullah became the biggest donor to China, offering a cash donation of 50 million U.S. dollars and materials worth 10 million U.S. dollars.

    Saudi Arabia is now China's largest trading partner in West Asia and Africa. In 2008, two-way trade between China and Saudi Arabia amounted to 41.8 billion U.S. dollars.

    Saudi Arabia is a member of the GCC , which plays an important role in maintaining peace and stability in the Gulf region and boosting regional economic development, as well as contributing to international energy markets.

    The GCC, established in 1981, consists of six Arab countries, namely Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirate.

    Saudi Arabia is the first leg of Hu's first overseas trip in 2009. The week-long visit will also take the president to Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius.

    "Hu's visit is aimed at promoting China-Saudi strategic friendly relations, boosting the China-Africa new strategic partnership and consolidating the China-Africa traditional friendship," Assistant Chinese Foreign Minister Zhai Jun said ahead of Hu's visit.

    Enhancing solidarity and cooperation with African countries has always been an important component of China's independent foreign policy of peace.

    "The past year witnessed significant progress in China-Africa relations. The two sides maintained high-level exchanges and deepened strategic mutual trust," Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said in an interview with Xinhua last month.

    He said that the eight policy measures of pragmatic cooperation with Africa announced by President Hu at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in November 2006 were carried out steadily.

    Official figures show that the China-Africa trade volume hit an all time high in 2008, reaching 106.8 billion U.S. dollars.

    "The year 2009 is an important year for China-Africa relations to continue to move forward and will create new development opportunities for the bilateral ties. The Chinese leaders will continue to take the development of relations with Africa as a top priority of Chinese diplomacy," the minister said. 

Commentary: Hu's 5-nation tour set to boost friendship, co-op

2009-02-10 15:26:23 

    BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) --

Chinese President Hu Jintao left for Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, starting a five-nation Asia-Africa tour that is designed to enhance China's friendship with developing countries in the region and reaffirm the basis of the Chinese foreign policy.

    The trip, which will take Hu to Saudi Arabia, Mali, Senegal, Tanzania and Mauritius from Feb. 10 to Feb. 17, is a showcase of the consistency and continuity of the Chinese foreign policy.

    To boost China's ties with all developing countries in the world, including those in Asia and Africa, is the cornerstone of China's independent foreign policy of peace.

    And Hu's choosing of these five countries, all of which are developing nations, as the destination for his first foreign tour this year demonstrates that China, as usual, attaches great importance to promoting friendly ties with its developing counterparts in Asia and Africa.

    The tour is also of significance to China's efforts to consolidate the traditional friendship, deepen the reciprocal cooperation and tackle joint challenges in a hand-in-hand approach with the developing nations in the region.

    Hu's visit to the five developing countries will strengthen the friendship with them.

    China's relations with Saudi Arabia have developed at an incredible pace since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1990, which can serve as an outstanding example of the development of the relationship between China and all of the developing countries in Asia and Africa.

    After China's Sichuan province was hit by a devastating earthquake on May 12, Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz donated remarkable money and material to the earthquake-hit region, fully displaying the profound friendship between the two peoples.

    The Chinese president visits Saudi Arabia as the initial leg of his first foreign tour this year, mirroring China's attachment of importance to the strategic friendly relations with this country.

    Hu's four-nation visit to Africa is aimed at furthering the traditional China-Africa friendship.

    China and Africa developed their relations through turbulent times of wars of national liberation and independence. In the new era, the two sides need each other for common development.

    The establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation has offered a mechanism that ensures practical cooperation between the two sides.

    In recent years, especially after the Beijing Summit of the forum in 2006, China-Africa relations have developed very fast. The measures pledged during the summit have been steadily carried out and the new type of strategic China-Africa partnership has been strengthened.

    As the Chinese saying goes, making friends might be easier during pleasant times, but they know each other better in the face of adversity.

    Many developing countries, including China and Saudi Arabia, are facing grave challenges amid the ongoing global financial storm. The impact of the crisis is even harder on some African nations, especially those with a weak economy that heavily relies on foreign capital and assistance.

    Under such circumstances, the Chinese government pledged not to cut its assistance to Africa but instead to expand trade and mutual investment with Africa on the basis of equality and reciprocity. The expansion was expected to help African nations strengthen their ability to sustain their development in defense of outside economic risks.

    Meanwhile, China will urge the international community to fulfill its commitment to Africa and help create a sound international environment for African nations amid the financial crisis.

    Hu's four-nation tour to Africa indicates that China, as a responsible country, firmly supports African nations during the crisis and China is ready to contribute to the economic growth of African nations and a healthy growth of the global economy.

    Keeping faith is the foundation of credibility, and it is also the cornerstone of a continuous and enhanced China-Africa friendship.

    The Chinese president announced an eight-measure policy designed to strengthen pragmatic cooperation with Africa at the Beijing Summit of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in November 2006.

    Several months later, Hu paid a visit to Africa, during which a series of cooperation agreements were signed with an aim to implement the eight-step package for aid to Africa.

    Now in 2009, the year to conclude the implementation of the eight-step plan, the Chinese president visited Africa again to exchange views with leaders of the African countries on the fulfillment of the commitments made at the Beijing Summit.

    All these efforts made by the Chinese leaders showed their determination in fulfilling the government's aid promises to Africa.

    It is also a manifestation of the Chinese government's governing ideas of "being true in word and resolute in deed," and its sincere wishes to help the African countries achieve independent development.

    Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi has said earlier that China was capable of fulfilling its commitments on the eight measures by the end of 2009.

    Against the current global economic backdrop, the Chinese president is sending out a positive message to the world through his visits to five Asian and African countries that friendship, solidarity and cooperation are the spiritual driving force for the world's common development, and also the source of confidence in overcoming all the challenges and difficulties.

    We have reason to believe that Hu's visits to the five Asian and African countries will surely contribute to promoting cooperation between China and the world's developing countries.

Editor: Lin Liyu