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Ex-ambassadors talk about China-Saudi ties

By Song Wei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-02-12 22:17

As Chinese President Hu Jintao continued his three-day visit in Saudi Arabia on the first leg of his five-nation tour in West Asia and Africa, two former Chinese ambassadors to Saudi Arabia –Zheng Dayong and Wu Sike -- came to China Daily website Thursday morning for an exclusive interview to analyze China-Saudi Arabia ties and lift the "mysterious" veil of the West Asian country.

Former Chinese ambassadors to Saudi Arabia Wu Sike (L) and Zheng Dayong talk about China-Saudi Arabia ties in an interview at the China Daily website on February 12, 2009. Chinese President Hu Jintao is on his three-day visit to Saudi Arabia as the first leg of his five-nation tour in West Asia and Africa. [Chinadaily.com.cn]

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"Most people think Saudi Arabia is a country full of mysteries because they are unfamiliar with it," ambassador Zheng pointed out. "I can use a vivid description to introduce the country: it's a country 'grasping with its two hands' – one hand for oil and the other for the Qur'an [the central religious text of Islam]."

Oil and religion play an important part in its people's lives. Saudi Arabia is the world's leading petroleum exporter. Oil accounts for more than 90 percent of exports and nearly 75 percent of government revenues. Saudi Arabia is also the birthplace of Islam. The two holiest places in Islam – Mecca and Medina—are in Saudi Arabia, and 1.3 billion Muslim pilgrims from all over the world head to Mecca each year.

"Even in China, there are more than 10,000 Chinese Muslim pilgrims who head to Mecca each year," Zheng said.

"Relations between China and Saudi Arabia go back to the 7th century. Mohammed, the founder of Islam  once said, 'We need to learn from China no matter how far it is' about 1,400 years ago. And then disciples of him began to set foot to southeast China. Now in provinces like Fujian and Guangdong, we can find some tombs of missionaries there. The ancient Chinese explorer Zheng He (1371–1433) also made voyages to the Arabian peninsula," Zheng explained.

The relation between the two countries goes far beyond that, as Saudi Arabia is China's largest trading partner in West Asia, with two-way trade hitting $41.8 billion in 2008.

 

File photo shows Muslim pilgrims leave the plains of Arafat outside the holy city of MeccaDecember 7, 2008. More than two million Muslims began the haj pilgrimage on Saturday, heading to a tent camp outside Mecca to follow the route Prophet Mohammad took 14 centuries ago. [Agencies]

 

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