China says Premier Li Qiang to visit Saudi Arabia, UAE this week

Chinese Premier Li Qiang will visit Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates this week, Beijing's foreign ministry said Monday.

"From September 10 to 13, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council will travel to Saudi Arabia to chair the Fourth Meeting of the High-Level Chinese-Saudi Joint Committee and visit Saudi Arabia and the UAE," ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

China, an oil producer itself, has long imported crude from the Middle East, where it has sought to expand its influence in recent years.

Last year, it facilitated a historic rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

China has also positioned itself as a more neutral actor on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict than its rival the United States, advocating for a two-state solution while maintaining good ties with Israel.

Beijing has pointed to the Middle East as a key node in its Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, a central pillar of leader Xi Jinping's bid to expand his country's clout overseas.

Meanwhile, China's top diplomat Wang Yi will visit Russia this week for a security meeting of BRICS emerging economies, Beijing's foreign ministry said Monday.

Wang will attend the meeting of BRICS high-ranking security officials and national security advisers on Wednesday and Thursday in the city of St Petersburg, ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in an online statement.

His visit comes in advance of a BRICS summit next month that President Xi Jinping is expected to attend.

The BRICS group, an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, represents almost half the world's population and has since expanded to include other major emerging economies including the United Arab Emirates and Iran.

During the talks this week, Wang will discuss the "current international security situation", and "major international and regional issues" with BRICS officials, Mao said.

"The world today is one of interwoven turmoil, and various security challenges are complex and severe," she added.

"BRICS countries have always been committed to maintaining world peace, promoting common development, practising multilateralism, and promoting global governance in a more just and fair direction."

The group is set to hold a summit in the southwestern Russian city of Kazan next month, in what the Kremlin hopes will be a chance to expand its influence and forge closer economic alliances.

Russian President Vladimir Putin last week said he was expecting Xi at the Kazan meeting from October 22 to 24.

Putin has looked to the Chinese leader for support since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with the allies boosting trade to record highs as Moscow faces heavy economic sanctions from the West.

Moscow and Beijing both rail against "Western hegemony", particularly what they see as US domination of global affairs, and declared a "no limits" partnership shortly before Russia launched its offensive in Ukraine.

Last month, Putin said Russia's economic and trade links with China were "yielding results" as he welcomed Chinese Premier Li Qiang to the Kremlin.