Chinese premier meets Saudi Arabia Crown Prince

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) shakes hands with visiting Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, also deputy prime minister and defense minister of Saudi Arabia, in Beijing, capital of China, March 14, 2014. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

Premier Li Keqiang met with visiting Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in Beijing on Friday.

Hailing Saudi Arabia as China's important strategic partner in the Middle East and Gulf region, Li said the two countries share the common pursuit of world peace, respect each other's development path chosen in accordance with their own national conditions and both play constructive roles in international and regional affairs.

China stands ready to step up high-level interactions, boost energy cooperation and the cooperation inn infrastructure construction, and increase people-to-people exchanges to cement the strategic friendship with Saudi Arabia in a sustained way, said the Chinese premier.

"China attaches great importance to the ties with all members of the the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)," Li said, adding that the Chinese side is willing to restart FTA (free-trade agreement) talks with the GCC to reach a high-grade, win-win deal with a view to enhancing economic cooperation in an all-around way.

Salman, also deputy prime minister and defense minister, said China is an important friend and partner of Saudi Arabia and the two countries share extensive common interests.

The Crown Prince said Saudi Arabia gives great attention to the ties with China and will deepen reciprocal cooperation and increase people-to-people exchanges with China, and make joint efforts with the Chinese side to safeguard regional and global peace, stability and development.

Salman said Saudi Arabia welcomes investment from China and will provide facility and support for Chinese enterprises.

All GCC countries look forward to more cooperation with China, Salman said, adding that Saudi Arabia will continue playing an active role to promote the building of the GCC-China FTA area and the cooperation between the two sides.