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China seeks to boost ties with Saudis as Arab summit announced
- Beijing is seeking to enhance its energy ties with the Gulf at a time when the US-Saudi relationship is coming under strain
- President Xi Jinping’s attendance is yet to be confirmed, but Saudi Arabia has previously said he is planning to visit the country
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China is seeking to increase its influence over Arab nations, in particular Saudi Arabia, at a summit next month.
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There has been no announcement about which countries will attend the event and Beijing has not confirmed if President Xi Jinping will be present.
The meeting, which will take place amid an ongoing spat between the Saudis and the United States over oil production, will be the first of its kind to be held in the kingdom.
Chinese and Saudi officials have repeatedly pledged to pay high regard to their partnership, especially on stable energy supplies.
The event was announced in a very low-key manner, in the course of an interview given to the official Dubai newspaper Al Bayan by Chinese consul-general Li Xuhang.
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A second reference to the summit by Li, who told a space exploration event that it would be a “major event elevating China-Arab relations”, was then published on the website of the Chinese mission to Dubai on Tuesday.
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