The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and visiting President of the People's Republic of China Hu Jintao co-chaired the official round of talks held by the Saudi and Chinese sides at the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' palace in Riyadh this evening. At the outset of the audience, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques welcomed the Chinese President and his accompanying delegation, lauding the level of the friendly relations binding the two friendly countries and peoples. The monarch confirmed keenness to promote bilateral relations between the two friendly countries, drawing the attention to the fact that his first official visit abroad after assuming the throne in the Kingdom was to China. For his part, the Chinese President lauded the efforts exerted by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to enhance and support bilateral relations binding the two friendly countries and lauding the continual contacts between the leaders of the two countries as well as officials at all levels in the two countries. Then they discussed the overall developments at the regional arena, topped by the developments of the Palestinian issue and the importance of achieving fair and comprehensive peace, guaranteeing for the Palestinian people their right in the establishment of an independent and viable state. The talks also covered the situations in a number of tense regions in the Middle East and the world at large, stating the positions of the two friendly countries towards them, in addition to aspects of cooperation between the two countries and ways of enhancing them in all fields in what serves the two countries' mutual interests. On the Saudi side, the meeting was attended by Prince Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General; Prince Mite'b bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs; Prince Saud Al-Faisal, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Prince Abdul-Ilah bin Abdulaziz, Adviser to the King; Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Minister of Interior; Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, Chief of General Intelligence and Saudi Ambassador to China Yahya Abdulkareem Al-Zaid. On the Chinese side, the talks were attended by the president's official accompanying delegation.
