On 4 July, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone call with Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.
Wang underscored the remarkable progress made in China-Saudi Arabia diplomatic relationship, which turns 30 this year. The establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership and the High-Level Joint Committee, in particular, has accelerated cooperation across the board. Saudi Arabia is a major emerging market and an Arab country with global influence. It has all along been a high priority in China’s diplomacy. China stands ready to work with Saudi Arabia to implement the important consensus between the two heads of state and achieve even greater progress in the comprehensive strategic partnership.
Wang noted that since the start of COVID-19, President Xi Jinping and King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud have had two phone conversations. The two countries have supported and helped each other like real brothers. Wang expressed China’s readiness to continue to do its best to assist Saudi Arabia and cooperate with Saudi Arabia on vaccine R&D. He commended the tremendous work Saudi Arabia has done as the G20 President and reaffirmed China’s full support as Saudi Arabia performs its mandate, enhance international solidarity against the virus and preserve the momentum of G20 cooperation.
Wang also stressed that China and Saudi Arabia have always supported each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests, upheld fairness and justice in the international arena and resolutely safeguarded the shared interests of the two countries and the developing world. He expressed deep appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s support to China’s legitimate position on issues related to Hong Kong and Xinjiang. He said that it has become the habit of certain people in the world to lecture other countries and keep telling them what to do. When they blatantly interfere in China’s internal affairs in the name of human rights, their real motive is to destabilize Hong Kong and Xinjiang and hold back China’s development. Non-interference is a basic principle of international relations. China is firmly opposed to politicizing human rights issues and interfering in others’ internal affairs in the name of human rights. This is vital to not only China’s own legitimate rights and interests, but also the basic norms of international relations. It serves the common interests of all developing countries, including those of Saudi Arabia.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud stressed that Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to its comprehensive strategic partnership with China. Saudi Arabia stands ready to seize the opportunity of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations to deepen cooperation across the board and bring its relationship with China and the China-Arab relationship to a new level. He expressed appreciation for China’s enormous support in the fight against COVID-19, noting that the ongoing communication between Saudi and Chinese health authorities on vaccine R&D will help the two countries defeat the virus at an early date. He underscored that Saudi Arabia and China maintain close dialogue and coordination on international affairs and share a common position on safeguarding sovereignty and opposing interference in internal affairs. Saudi Arabia is ready to work closely with China under the G20 framework and secure new progress in the international cooperation against COVID-19.
The two sides also exchanged views on the Middle East situation.