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by Xinhua Writer Chen Shilei
BEIJING, March 15 (Xinhua) -- As some scapegoat globalization for their sluggish economy, others remain open and cooperative to explore business opportunities and reap win-win fruits.
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud starts a state visit to China Wednesday, which is expected to be a main course of the 81-year-old king's one-month Asia tour.
Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Saudi Arabia in January 2016, during which the two countries lift their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
The China-Saudi Arabia ties can develop in a rapid and sound way because the Mideast country sees China's rise as an opportunity and appreciates China's proposals for regional and cross-continental development.
Saudi Arabia is one of the first countries that have responded positively to China's Belt and the Road Initiative, which was proposed by Xi in 2013 with an aim to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road trade routes by land and sea.
So far, Chinese businesses have helped build 56 economic and trade cooperation zones in 20 countries along the routes with a combined investment surpassing 18.5 billion U.S. dollars, generating nearly 1.1 billion dollars in tax revenue and 180,000 jobs in those countries.
Saudi Arabia, a hub connecting Asia, Africa and Europe, hopes to play a bigger role in the initiative and integrate it with the "Saudi Vision 2030," a growth strategy it launched last year to diversify its heavily oil-dependent economy.
The China-Saudi Arabia relationship can reach such a high level also thanks to the broad common interests nurtured by both.
In recent years, with great complementarity in their industrial structures, the two countries have furthered cooperation in such fields as energy, trade, investment and infrastructure construction.
China became Saudi Arabia's largest trading partner in 2015 and Saudi Arabia has been China's biggest crude oil supplier and largest trading partner in West Asia for years.
Enjoying such a close relationship, China and Saudi Arabia are expected to further consolidate the fruits.
During the king's stay, the two sides will discuss enhancing cooperation in areas such as culture, economy, trade, technology, security and defense. They are expected to sign several agreements and memoranda on education, investment, transfer of technology, industry and trade.
As Riyadh observes, China is ready to share development opportunities with the world. To take a close-door policy or a beggar-thy-neighbor approach will not make anyone a winner. Both China and Saudi Arabia know that.
