According to state media CCTV, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud spoke on the phone on Tuesday, discussing a wide range of subjects, including supporting follow-up talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The call comes after Xi helped broker a surprise deal between the Middle Eastern rivals earlier this month to restore diplomatic ties.
Prince Mohammed expressed appreciation for China’s initiative to support efforts to develop good neighborliness between Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shi’ite Iran, according to Saudi state news agency SPA. The two leaders emphasized the importance of strategic ties between Saudi Arabia and China, and Xi said the two countries would support each other on issues involving their core interests.
Earlier this week, oil giant Saudi Aramco announced two deals with China, its biggest since Xi visited the kingdom in December. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have expressed concern about the perceived disengagement by the United States from the region and have moved to diversify partners with an eye on national economic and security interests. The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran are expected to meet during the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan after Riyadh and Tehran agreed, following talks in Beijing, to revive relations.
