On Wednesday, Wang started his Middle East tour, which includes official visits to Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, as well as a working visit to Oman.
“The Saudi side welcomes the active role of China in protecting security in the Middle East region and welcomes China’s initiatives in these areas,” Farhan Al Saud said.
The visit of the Chinese foreign minister to Riyadh comes days after Saudi Arabia proposed a widespread UN-sponsored ceasefire in neighboring conflict-torn Yemen. Beijing has already welcomed the initiative of Saudi Arabia.
Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces led by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthi rebels since 2014. The Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia launched an operation to support Hadi in 2015. The Houthis continue to maintain control over the vast part of the north of the country, including the capital of Sanaa.
