China Reaches Out to the Middle East, Cooperates with Saudi Arabia in Various Fields

King's Minister Bu Jang Visiting Middle East Holds Talks with Faisal, Saudi Foreign Minister
Saudi Arabia: "Opposes Any Form of Interference in China's Internal Affairs"

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Wang Yi, China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister in charge of diplomacy, who is visiting the Middle East, sharply criticized the United States and other Western countries, urging them to stop interfering in internal affairs.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 25th, Foreign Minister Wang expressed dissatisfaction with the United States and other Western countries during a meeting with Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, held in Riyadh on the 24th (local time).

At the meeting, Minister Wang said, "China supports Saudi Arabia's determination to safeguard its sovereignty," and added, "We oppose any interference in Saudi Arabia's internal affairs under the pretext of ideology and values."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He went on to say that Saudi Arabia understands and supports China regarding its core interests and major concerns such as Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and raised his voice, saying, "Some Western countries sanction China over the Xinjiang issue based on lies, which is a violent interference in China's internal affairs and an attempt to suppress China under the pretext of Xinjiang sanctions."

He said this approach is a regression to the 'law of the jungle' era, and argued, "Supporting China is precisely supporting the United Nations (UN) Charter and international fairness and justice."

Minister Wang expressed his intention to strengthen cooperation in all fields, saying that the strategic mutual trust between China and Saudi Arabia will be further enhanced in the process of protecting national sovereignty, national dignity, and the right to development.

He emphasized that the China-led Belt and Road Initiative (land and maritime Silk Road) will be integrated with Saudi Arabia's development plans to cooperate in various fields such as trade, investment, 5G, and artificial intelligence (AI).

Minister Faisal responded by saying that the friendly relations between China and Saudi Arabia are improving, and "Every country has the right to choose its own path of development and must serve its own people, not follow others' instructions."

He added, "Saudi Arabia opposes any form of interference in China's internal affairs," and said, "We will cooperate with China to jointly maintain international order and stability."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.