China, Saudi military cooperation on ‘fast track’ as top defence officials meet

Cooperation in “army exchanges, personnel training and joint exercises and drills” had been “fruitful”, Zhang said, adding that “China is open to cooperation with the Saudi military”.

As China’s second-ranking military official after President Xi Jinping – who also chairs the CMC, the country’s top military decision-making and command body – Zhang rarely meets defence ministers.

The meeting with Salman was Zhang’s first with a foreign defence minister this year, and followed several meetings with defence ministry heads at the high-profile Xiangshan Forum in Beijing in October.

In his talks with Salman, Dong said China and Saudi Arabia “firmly stand together on issues of mutual core interests, communicate and coordinate in a timely manner on international and regional affairs, and vigorously safeguard common interests”.

According to the Chinese defence ministry readout, Salman said Riyadh was ready to strengthen “strategic communication” with Beijing to “raise bilateral military ties to a higher level”.

China is Saudi Arabia’s largest economic and trade partner and the largest importer of Saudi oil. While the US remains Riyadh’s largest arms supplier, the Middle Eastern power has increased its Chinese weapons imports in recent years.

China’s state-owned defence industry displayed the latest model FC-31, its fifth-generation fighter jet, and more than 30 unmanned aerial vehicles at the World Defence Show in Riyadh in February, hoping to ramp up exports to the region.

In addition to their growing military ties, China and Saudi Arabia have deepened their cooperation in a range of other fields, including artificial intelligence and infrastructure.