Beijing: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived in Beijing Thursday as the monarch aims to seal partnerships on a high-profile Asia tour following a diplomatic crisis over a journalist’s brutal murder. Mohammed is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on his two-day trip to the Chinese capital following visits to Pakistan and India.
The tour has allowed him to show that Riyadh still has allies after the grisly murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi — a fierce critic of Mohammed — at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul tarnished the image of the kingdom and the prince. The Chinese foreign ministry said Beijing’s ambitious Belt and Road global trade infrastructure initiative will be on the agenda, as they look to improve their economic ties.
