Gulf foreign ministers, GCC chief visit China for talks
GCC Secretary General Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf said the five days of meetings will "contribute to enhancing GCC-Chinese relations."
Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman began a visit to China on Monday for five days of meetings aimed at deepening relations between Beijing and the Gulf region, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Monday and “discussed strengthening the strategic relationship between the two countries.”
“Together with China, we look forward to consolidating bilateral partnership and coordination in various fields of cooperation and joint work,” Prince Faisal wrote on Twitter.
Gulf states looking to diversify their oil-dependent economies have sought closer ties with Beijing. On Sunday, the state-backed Chinese newspaper Global Times reported that the first-of-its-kind Gulf visit could “make breakthroughs in the negotiations” over a free trade agreement between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council states.
