Gulf-Chinese Talks in Riyadh Review Free Trade Updates  

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Al-Budaiwi, confirmed that the Gulf-Chinese talks session in Riyadh addressed strengthening cooperation between the two sides, building on the strong relations and shared interests between them, as well as translating the outcomes of the first Gulf-Chinese summit held in Saudi Arabia in December 2022.

The session discussed the exchange of views on a number of regional and international issues, as well as following up on the latest developments in the region.

The Chinese side revealed discussions to enhance cooperation between the two sides and ways to develop it in various fields that serve common interests. They also emphasized the importance of implementing the joint action plan for the period 2023-2027.

The talks addressed several topics of mutual interest, the most important being a review of the latest developments in free trade negotiations between the GCC countries and the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese side stressed the importance of moving forward and concluding these negotiations in the near future, in addition to discussing ways to strengthen cooperation in various fields serving mutual interests.