RIYADH - Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Tuesday he expected China and Saudi Arabia to further strengthen alignment of their development strategies and push bilateral ties to a higher level through his visit to the country.

Li arrived here Tuesday to chair the Fourth Meeting of the High-Level Chinese-Saudi Joint Committee and visit Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.

Noting the deep-rooted traditional friendship between China and Saudi Arabia, Li said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations 34 years ago, through joint efforts by both sides, China-Saudi Arabia relations have achieved leapfrog development, yielding fruitful results in practical cooperation.

In December 2022, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the first China-Arab States Summit and the first China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and paid a state visit to Saudi Arabia, said Li.

For over a year, both sides have actively implemented the key outcomes of the summits, continuously strengthening political mutual trust, steadily advancing exchanges and cooperation in various fields, maintaining close communication and coordination on regional and international affairs, and continuously adding new dimensions to the China-Saudi Arabia comprehensive strategic partnership, the Chinese premier said.

Li said during this visit he will have in-depth discussions with the Saudi crown prince and prime minister on bilateral relations and other issues of common concern to strengthen friendship and expand cooperation.

He expressed expectation that his visit will also further expand mutually beneficial cooperation across various fields, deepen the friendship between the two peoples, and foster greater progress in the China-GCC and China-Arab relations.

Saudi Arabia is the first leg of his four-day tour to the Middle East, which will also take him to the United Arab Emirates.