The main media center of Saudi Arabia-hosted summits of China and other states in the region has leaders’ meetings broadcast live on Dec 9, 2022 in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabia's captal. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO China Daily)
“Don’t worry.”
The calm voice of a gentleman in traditional Saudi dress was warm and welcoming, helping soothe my frayed nerves.
It was late in the evening Dec 10 at the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. I was anxiously struggling to fulfill the online health formalities for onward flight to Qatar, and running out of time, when my mobile network did not move.
The man behind the counter identified as Mohamad approached me, glanced at my screen, tapped his phone and shared with me his own access. Minutes later, the problem was resolved.
At the media center of the Riyadh-hosted summits with China, voices were loud that the summits were good news for the region and the entire world. China’s top leader and his accompanying delegation had brought in projects to work together, chances for jobs, and confirmed commitment to “overall cooperation” as enunciated by the Saudi leadership, initiatives that would all lead to better lives for ordinary Saudi people and a better future for the kingdom
Saudi warmth has been felt everywhere throughout my first trip to the kingdom. A hotel reception manager tried for about 15 minutes to phone a taxi driver I had met, another assigned a worker to lead me to a bank in the evening; taxi drivers cut their bills after traffic jams; and government staff answered calls and offered help during weekends and off-duty hours, and even after midnight.
At the media center of the Riyadh-hosted summits with China, voices were loud that the summits were good news for the region and the entire world. China’s top leader and his accompanying delegation had brought in projects to work together, chances for jobs, and confirmed commitment to “overall cooperation” as enunciated by the Saudi leadership, initiatives that would all lead to better lives for ordinary Saudi people and a better future for the kingdom.
I was told that in the eyes of many locals and other Arab people, the Chinese are listeners in earnest, partners in trust and friends in need. And I got the same impression about the kind-hearted Saudis.
To them, China does not manipulate political groups against others to suit own purposes, does not force its own will upon others, and does not provoke internal disturbances to topple the governments which dare to disagree. Neither does China push for cross-border conflicts, or ever engage in military alliances that keep expanding frontlines to the doors of imaginary foes.
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Instead, the Chinese provide feasible goods, qualified services, hybrid rice seeds, farming skills, and of course, assistance with new roads and airports, and first-ever bridges.
Saudi Arabians and their migrant residents use Chinese 5G-tech widely to speed up their digital sectors and ease their daily lives, without any fear of “potential security threat” that some Western nations, led by the United States, have tried to fuel about China’s technology in recent years.
From the minister to the shop owner and to ordinary youths on the street, digital life and work seem to be on faster tracks in the kingdom.
Chinese business people say Saudi Arabia is undergoing a new era of “reform and opening”; and China’s experiences in this field partly explain the upgraded bilateral partnership.
Underpinning this partnership is Arab peoples’ disappointment at getting misunderstood and misrepresented by Western powers, and growing awareness of Chinese traditional philosophy and current practice of putting people first in governance. From ancient rulers to current leaders of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese know that the source of political power comes from people’s support, which in turn is generated from their service to the people.
Talks with analysts and political observers in Gulf region reveal that decades of conflicts and instability have made people in the Middle East grow tired of NATO interventions, wars and other conflicts that originate from the vestige of Western colonialism and exacerbated by power politics. A common aspiration is a longing for alternate politics centered on economic and social development.
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The Chinese carry that hope. Raindrops kissed the faces, shoulders and hands of all the people who were waiting before the Chinese president’s plane landed in Riyadh on Dec 7; and a heavier rain soaked the dry ground of the Saudi capital while the delegation departed on Dec 10. The weather was, perhaps, a symbolism of good luck to many.
Raindrops kissed the faces, shoulders and hands of all the people who were waiting before the Chinese president’s plane landed in Riyadh on Dec 7; and a heavier rain soaked the dry ground of the Saudi capital while the delegation departed on Dec 10. The weather was, perhaps, a symbolism of good luck to many
That hope goes on as Saudi people work hard for their own modernization. The Saudi Vision 2030 is an inspiration to all, bringing the often-misquoted kingdom to a larger global community with a shared future in a new era.
During last week’s gathering, Saudi and Chinese leaders met other state leaders from the Arab region together, as well as one by one, almost around the clock for days and nights. Also staying busy in rolling out the welcome mat and meeting the needs of visitors were people from local government offices, companies, service sectors, and even bazaars.
Officials from the kingdom’s Ministry of Media say the Saudis are not unfamiliar with such stress. As organizers of hajj visitors, who come in millions in days and weeks, they have to work with little sleep and rest all along for a couple of weeks. And they are keen to be understood properly, duly respected, and trusted as responsible members of an inclusive world community.
Like others, the Arab people, with their long history of contribution to human progress, deserve to be heard and offered assistance for their own development. At a news conference on Dec 10, a Western journalist wryly raised a question of the Saudis choosing between the US and China. The answer: Saudis do not believe in a zero-sum game.
The you-lose-I-win mentality of some Western politicians may continue to be felt in the Middle East, but it is certainly no longer welcome, as noted by regional analysts in and out of the Riyadh media center. The world has spent too much money and resources on arms, too little on food, forestation and non-fossil fuels.
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But a new era has begun now, with Chinese and Arabs striving together to realize their common aspirations for a better life in a more peaceful and beautiful world.
