China’s Vice President Han Zheng Meets Saudi Crown Prince as Trade Concerns Loom
Meeting in Riyadh signals Beijing and Riyadh seek deeper ties even as Gulf free-trade deal stalls over Chinese exports
China’s Vice President Han Zheng and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met in Riyadh on 29 October 2025 in a high-level engagement aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation across politics, trade and investment.
The meeting underscores both nations’ ambition to deepen ties even as broader China–Gulf Cooperation Council free-trade talks continue to stall.
According to China’s foreign ministry, Han expressed Beijing’s readiness to “work with Saudi Arabia to enhance high-level exchanges and support each other on issues of core interest”.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of delayed China–GCC trade negotiations, where Riyadh has pressed concerns about a wave of low-cost Chinese imports undermining its efforts to build domestic manufacturing under its Vision 2030 programme.
Saudi Arabia, one of China’s largest trading partners, exported roughly US$57 billion of goods to China in 2024—primarily oil—while China sold about US$50 billion worth of goods including electronics and vehicles to the kingdom.
Riyadh’s desire to shield key sectors from cheaper external competition has complicated progress on a formal free-trade agreement with China initiated in 2024.
Beyond addressing trade frictions, the two sides discussed expanding cooperation in sectors such as new energy, industrial supply-chains and capital markets, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification agenda and China’s Belt and Road Initiative ambitions.
Analysis of the meeting suggests Beijing is seeking to deepen its Persian Gulf footprint in the context of shifting global power dynamics and supply-chain realignments.
For Saudi Arabia, the encounter reflects proactive diplomacy with a major partner at a time when it is re-shaping its economy and pursuing strategic autonomy.
For China, the visit by Han as a top envoy reaffirms Beijing’s priority on the Gulf region and its readiness to accommodate Riyadh’s industrial concerns.
The outcome is likely to influence the trajectory of Sino-Saudi cooperation and impact the future of Gulf-China trade architecture in a contested global economic landscape.
The meeting underscores both nations’ ambition to deepen ties even as broader China–Gulf Cooperation Council free-trade talks continue to stall.
According to China’s foreign ministry, Han expressed Beijing’s readiness to “work with Saudi Arabia to enhance high-level exchanges and support each other on issues of core interest”.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of delayed China–GCC trade negotiations, where Riyadh has pressed concerns about a wave of low-cost Chinese imports undermining its efforts to build domestic manufacturing under its Vision 2030 programme.
Saudi Arabia, one of China’s largest trading partners, exported roughly US$57 billion of goods to China in 2024—primarily oil—while China sold about US$50 billion worth of goods including electronics and vehicles to the kingdom.
Riyadh’s desire to shield key sectors from cheaper external competition has complicated progress on a formal free-trade agreement with China initiated in 2024.
Beyond addressing trade frictions, the two sides discussed expanding cooperation in sectors such as new energy, industrial supply-chains and capital markets, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification agenda and China’s Belt and Road Initiative ambitions.
Analysis of the meeting suggests Beijing is seeking to deepen its Persian Gulf footprint in the context of shifting global power dynamics and supply-chain realignments.
For Saudi Arabia, the encounter reflects proactive diplomacy with a major partner at a time when it is re-shaping its economy and pursuing strategic autonomy.
For China, the visit by Han as a top envoy reaffirms Beijing’s priority on the Gulf region and its readiness to accommodate Riyadh’s industrial concerns.
The outcome is likely to influence the trajectory of Sino-Saudi cooperation and impact the future of Gulf-China trade architecture in a contested global economic landscape.
