China’s Vice President Han Zheng said Beijing is ready to deepen cooperation with Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East across energy, investment and innovation, while advancing its Belt and Road Initiative to support shared development.
Speaking at Day 1’s closing session of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, Han said China and Saudi Arabia enjoy “long-standing friendship and cooperation” dating back more than two millennia and that ties are growing stronger under the leadership of King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“Saudi Arabia is an important member of the Arab world and the Islamic world, a key independent force in a multi-polar world and also China’s important strategic partner in the Middle East,” Han said.
He praised Saudi Vision 2030, saying the country’s economic and social reforms had achieved “positive results” and that initiatives such as the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative were “highly influential.”
The Chinese Vice President added that Beijing would work with Saudi Arabia and other regional states to deepen energy collaboration, expand financial and investment cooperation, and create “new highlights” in cultural and people-to-people exchanges.
China also plans to foster innovation and green development through high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, he added.
Outlining China’s broader economic and foreign-policy stance, Han said the world must stay committed to openness, cooperation and mutual benefit.
“Openness brings progress and cooperation brings win-win results,” he said.
He warned that rising protectionism, unilateralism and inefficiency in global governance were creating uncertainty and urged countries to “rise above differences in social systems” and strengthen solidarity.
“Facing an endless stream of global challenges, countries are bound together by a shared future, and no country can shield itself from the impact,” he said. “China stands ready to work with the international community to practice true multilateralism and build a more just and equitable global governance system.”
Han said innovation and green transformation would remain central to China’s growth strategy.
“It is imperative to raise the quality of development and make it more sustainable through innovation,” he said, adding that Beijing seeks to “embrace the new wave of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation” in partnership with other nations.
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