BEIJING/DUBAI, Sept 11 (Askume) – Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a meeting in Riyadh on Wednesday to discuss energy, investment and trade, Saudi Arabia’s state news agency SPA reported, as they discussed cooperation in a number of bilateral fields.
Earlier, Li Keqiang urged Beijing and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which includes Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to speed up free trade talks.
Li Keqiang made the remarks when he met GCC Secretary General Jassim Boudaiwi in Riyadh, according to China’s official news agency Xinhua.
According to SPA, Budawi stressed the importance of moving forward and completing trade negotiations in the “near future”.
Free trade talks have stalled amid Saudi concerns over cheap Chinese imports, sources told Askume in May .
Sources say Saudi Arabia is concerned that an influx of low-cost Chinese-made products would be detrimental to its industrial agenda.
China and the Gulf Cooperation Council (which also includes Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain) began free trade talks nearly 20 years ago.
According to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement, Li Keqiang said the two sides should further expand the scale of bilateral trade and deepen cooperation in emerging areas such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, infrastructure, new energy and green economy.
Li Keqiang said Saudi Arabia is willing to work with China in multilateral affairs to safeguard regional and world peace, security and stability.
Li Keqiang will arrive in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday evening, where he will meet UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, the Foreign Ministry said.
