(22 Feb 2019) Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hailed relations with China as trouble-free, during talks Friday with President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
The talks were aimed at strengthening relations in the face of criticism from the West over the kingdom's human rights record and its war in Yemen.
Citing a 33 percent increase in bilateral trade last year, the crown prince said high-level contacts were paying off in areas from commerce to security and defence.
His visit come five months after the crown prince came under intense pressure in the U.S. and elsewhere following the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
In the U.S. Congress, criticism has also been building for months over the kingdom's handling of the war in Yemen, where it is accused of causing widespread casualties and suffering among civilians.
Earlier in Friday the Crown Prince presided at a China-Saudi cooperation forum that concluded with agreements on cooperation in fields ranging from petroleum and the chemical industry to investment, renewable energy and counter-terrorism.
Saudi Arabia is one of China's top crude oil suppliers and an important market for its exports, including military drones.
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