Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. He will attend the first China-Arab States Summit and the China-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Riyadh and pay a state visit to Saudi Arabia from December 7 to 10. Xi's visit will be the largest and highest-level diplomatic event between China and the Arab world since the founding of the People's Republic of China, a milestone in relations. 

Over time, China and Saudi Arabia have set an example of friendly exchanges. Both sides agreed to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2016. Saudi Arabia is one of China's top oil suppliers and China is Saudi Arabia's largest trading partner. In 2022, Saudi Arabia was the largest recipient of Chinese investments through the Belt and Road Initiative. Robust cooperation on energy and infrastructure projects has benefited both sides. 

World Insight with Tian Wei speaks to a strong panel that includes Meir Javedanfar, a Middle East analyst, Prof. Josef Gregory Mahoney of East China Normal University, and Zhou Rong, a senior analyst from the Chongyang Institute for Financial Study at the Renmin University of China.