Saturday, Dec 10, 2022
President Xi Jinping with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: 10 December 2022: Xi Jinping, in his address to the Gulf Cooperation Council asked the GCC countries to use the Chinese yuan to conduct oil sales. Jinping had been invited to Saudi Arabia to demonstrate Riyadh’s burgeoning relationship with China amid strained relations with the U.S. over human rights issues, energy and the Kingdom’s relations with Russia.
The Chinese president added that China would not interfere in the domestic policies of GCC countries– a position Beijing has long criticized Washington over.
In Riyadh, on 8th December 2022, Xi Jinping had met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. On the Palestinian issue Xi Jinping said,” “The historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people cannot continue indefinitely.” He added,” The demand for an independent state cannot be vetoed.”
Saudi Arabia is considered by many to be a leader of Muslims as the custodian of the holy Mecca and Madina. Qatar is the owner of Al Jazeera and patron of Muslim Brotherhood. (Qatar is known to have interfered in internal discussions in democratic countries, in favor of Muslim radicals, at least in one prominent case in the middle of 2022.)
The western governments, led by USA, have been criticizing the Chinese government for its treatment of the Muslims in China. They have been asking the Chinese governments to start respecting the human rights of the Muslim minority, and more particularly of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
Except for a somewhat subdued protest from Turkey, no other Muslim-majority country, including both Saudi Arabia and Qatar, is known to have said anything in public against the cruel treatment of Muslims by the Chinese government.
On 10th December, Saudi Arabia and Qatar seem to be trying to align with China against USA!
Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, center right, with Chinese President Xi Jinping, center left, and other Arab Gulf leaders including Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Omani Deputy Prime Minister for the Council of Ministers Sayyid Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said, Ruler of Fujairah of United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, and Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary Gen Dr. Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf