Chinese President Xi Jinping published a signed article titled "Be Good Partners for Common Development" on Saudi newspaper Alriyadh on Monday ahead of his state visit to the country. The following is the English version of the article: [Special coverage]
Be Good Partners for Common Development
By H. E. Xi Jinping
President of the People's Republic of China
Published on Alriyadh of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is the first stop of my first overseas visit this year and also the first Arab country I will visit as President of the People's Republic of China.
China sees Saudi Arabia as a brotherly state. An oil kingdom with huge oil and gas reserves, a country with time-honored history which is the birthplace of Islam, and the magnificent setting sun against the vast expanse of the desert: these are the images that Saudi Arabia brings to our mind.
In 2008, I visited Saudi Arabia as Vice Chinese President, and I was greatly impressed by its prosperity and the hospitality of its people.
Eight years on, at the invitation of His Majesty Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia, I will once again set foot on this beautiful and rich land, and I will bring with me the Chinese people's friendship towards the Saudi Arabian people and their keen desire to grow friendly ties between our two countries.
We Chinese often say that true friendship stands out in time of adversity. And people in Saudi Arabia also believe that "there is no greater virtue than extending a helping hand to those in need". In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit Wenchuan of China's Sichuan Province in 2008, Saudi Arabia immediately provided over US$60 million of both cash and material assistance to China, the largest item of overseas assistance ever received by the Chinese government. This assistance provided by the Saudi Arabian government people, a vivid symbol of the China-Saudi Arabia friendship, deeply moved the Chinese people and will always be remembered by us.
The peoples of China and Saudi Arabia have enjoyed friendly exchanges for centuries. Over 2000 years ago, numerous camel caravans from the two sides travelled along the ancient Silk Road. Diplomatic envoys from the Seljuk Empire visited China during the Tang Dynasty. Zheng He, China's Muslim navigator in the Ming Dynasty, travelled to Jeddah, Mecca and Medina, and he described them as paradises where people enjoyed peace and harmony. The interactions and mutual learning between the Chinese and Islamic civilizations are an important part in the history of inter-civilization exchanges.
