China's Xi meets Saudi crown prince on high-stakes visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Saudi Arabia's powerful crown prince met on an Arab outreach visit that has earned a rebuke from Washington, reaching deals in areas including energy and infrastructure.

Agreements worth about $30 billion were being signed, Saudi state media said, as China seeks to shore up its Covid-hit economy and as the Saudis, long-term US allies, push to diversify their economic and political alliances.

They oversaw the signing of energy agreements on hydrogen as well as a plan to "harmonise" Saudi Arabia's ambitious economic reform agenda, Vision 2030, with China's trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, the official Saudi Press Agency said.

Xi also met with Prince Mohammed's father, 86-year-old King Salman, signing a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement first reached during Xi's last visit in 2016, state media reported.

They "agreed to hold a heads of state meeting between the two countries in turn every two years", Chinese state media said.

"I am very pleased to visit Saudi Arabia again after six years. I still remember the scenes from my last visit," Xi said.

"The Chinese side views the Saudi side as an important force in a multipolar world and attaches high importance to developing a comprehensive strategic partnership with Saudi Arabia."

The crown prince sees China as a critical partner in his sweeping Vision 2030 agenda, seeking the involvement of Chinese firms in ambitious mega-projects meant to diversify the economy away from fossil fuels.