RIYADH, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday that China has always regarded Saudi Arabia as a priority in its Middle East diplomacy and an important partner in its global diplomatic strategy, and is willing to work with Saudi Arabia to elevate bilateral ties to new heights.

Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks while co-chairing the Fifth Meeting of the Political Sub-committee of the China-Saudi Arabia High-level Joint Committee in Riyadh with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

Wang said that Saudi Arabia is an important member of the Arab and Islamic worlds and an independent force in the process of multipolarization.

In recent years, under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as well as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, exchanges and cooperation across all fields between the two countries have progressed in a sound and steady manner, he said, adding China-Saudi relations have increasingly gone beyond the bilateral dimension, taking on growing strategic significance and global influence.

China has always regarded Saudi Arabia as a priority in its Middle East diplomacy and an important partner in its global diplomatic strategy, and stands ready to work with Saudi Arabia to implement the important consensus reached by the two countries' leaders, he said.

Wang called on both sides to firmly grasp the direction of bilateral relations, resolutely support each other on issues involving core interests, better coordinate cooperation across various fields, continuously enrich the substance of the comprehensive strategic partnership, and build China-Saudi relations into a new model of mutual benefit, mutual trust and solidarity among nations, so as to push bilateral ties to new heights.

Noting that next year will mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, Wang said China is willing to further strengthen high-level exchanges with Saudi Arabia and welcomes Saudi leaders to visit China next year to attend the second China-Arab States Summit. He added that China looks forward to working with Saudi Arabia to ensure the success of the summit.

He also said that China stands ready to maintain close coordination with Saudi Arabia on preparations for the Fifth Meeting of the China-Saudi Arabia High-Level Joint Committee, so as to support and ensure the smooth advancement of major bilateral agendas next year.

Stressing that China and Saudi Arabia are important economic and trade partners to each other, Wang said China will further expand opening up during its 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), creating new opportunities for bilateral cooperation.

He called on both sides to strengthen cooperation in areas such as energy and investment, while expanding cooperation in new areas including renewable energy and green transition, and deliver more tangible outcomes.

China welcomes increased Saudi investment in China and supports Chinese enterprises in investing and doing business in Saudi Arabia, he said, expressing hope that the Saudi side will continue to provide a favorable business environment for Chinese companies.

The two sides should also enhance exchanges in culture, tourism and other fields, facilitate people-to-people exchanges, deepen mutual understanding, and strengthen the fraternal friendship between the two peoples, Wang said.

He stressed that China supports Saudi Arabia in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs, backing its hosting of Expo 2030 Riyadh, and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Saudi Arabia on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the G20, and BRICS, to practice true multilateralism and uphold international fairness and justice.

The Saudi foreign minister said that Saudi-China relations are currently enjoying strong momentum, with the comprehensive strategic partnership continuously deepening and pragmatic cooperation yielding fruitful results. He noted that the close interactions between the two heads of state have provided guidance and outlined a clear blueprint for bilateral relations.

Saudi Arabia firmly adheres to the one-China principle and will never support any separatist actions advocating "Taiwan independence," he said, adding that indulging "Taiwan independence" runs counter to the international law principle of non-interference in internal affairs and amounts to allowing various separatist forces to disrupt global stability.

He noted that Saudi Arabia highly appreciates China's remarkable development achievements and is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges with China, learn from its advanced experience, and deepen cooperation in trade, investment, energy and the circular economy to achieve mutually beneficial and win-win outcomes.

Saudi Arabia looks forward to the second China-Arab States Summit and the China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit to be held in China next year, and is ready to make full preparations while actively advancing negotiations on the China-GCC Free Trade Agreement, the Saudi minister noted.

He added that Saudi Arabia welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and operate in the country and is willing to offer more preferential policies.

He noted that Saudi Arabia highly values China's important role in international affairs, particularly its principled and just stance on issues such as Palestine. Saudi Arabia supports the series of global initiatives proposed by Xi and is willing to strengthen multilateral communication and coordination with China to safeguard the common interests of developing countries and jointly advance the process of multipolarization, he added.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues, including developments in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

After the meeting, Wang Yi and Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud jointly signed an agreement on mutual visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, service and special passports from both countries. Enditem